NASA’s Investigating the Impact of Arctic Wildfires on Earth. Here’s Why
Originally posted on The Extinction Chronicles:
By Passant Rabie 10 hours ago Science & Astronomy The wildfires are also harmful to ecosystems and human health, and they’re becoming more frequent. https://www.space.com/nasa-investigates-arctic-wildfires-video.html Using a combination of field and laboratory work, as well as satellite and airborne observations, NASA is launching a study of the effects of Arctic wildfires in Alaska on the surrounding habitat and people’s health, as well as how the increased frequency of these events affects climate forecasting. Wildfires in the Arctic are usually started by lightning strikes and left to burn unless they get too close to infrastructure or people, according to a statement by NASA. However, as a result, the fires tend to spread out and consume large areas of vegetation. “Fires are a natural part of the ecosystem, but what we’re seeing is an accelerated fire cycle: we are getting more frequent and severe fires and larger burned areas,” Liz Hoy, a boreal fire researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said in the statement. Related: How NASA Is Using Lasers to Study Climate Change (Video) These record-setting wildfires raged across the Northwest Territories of Canada in 2014. (Image credit: Peter Griffith/NASA) Hoy also works as part of NASA’s Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE), a field campaign that examines the resilience of Arctic and boreal ecosystems and societies in response to changes in the environment. Wildfires in the Arctic contribute to carbon emissions created by the burning of a thick, carbon-rich layer…
