Ice-rich Permafrost Fuels Arctic Fires

Nature Geoscience commentary, September 28

More than half of 2020’s Arctic fires so far this year have occurred in ice-rich permafrost. Formerly thought to be “fire resistant”, these ecosystems also contain the most carbon-rich soils in the Arctic, and are increasingly vulnerable to burning. The thawing, drying, and burning of ice-rich permafrost can considerably increase carbon emission rates, and further accelerate global warming beyond that from direct human emissions. The authors call for an urgent push to improve our understanding of this intensifying Arctic fire regime, so it can be considered in future climate change projections.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-020-00645-5

Compiled by Amy Imdieke.