Lightning-Ignited Wildfires beyond the Polar Circle
Warming-driven lightning frequency increases may influence the burning rate within the circumpolar Arctic and influence vegetation productivity (GPP). We considered wildfire occurrence within the different Arctic sectors (Russian, North American, and Scandinavian). We used satellite-derived (MODIS)...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14060957 https://doaj.org/article/0814244037fb4c2c823aa63ea890f67e |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:0814244037fb4c2c823aa63ea890f67e 2023-07-23T04:16:50+02:00 Lightning-Ignited Wildfires beyond the Polar Circle Viacheslav I. Kharuk Maria L. Dvinskaya Alexey S. Golyukov Sergei T. Im Anastasia V. Stalmak 2023-05-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14060957 https://doaj.org/article/0814244037fb4c2c823aa63ea890f67e EN eng MDPI AG https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/14/6/957 https://doaj.org/toc/2073-4433 doi:10.3390/atmos14060957 2073-4433 https://doaj.org/article/0814244037fb4c2c823aa63ea890f67e Atmosphere, Vol 14, Iss 957, p 957 (2023) lightning fire ignition arctic fires northward fire migration heat waves arctic vegetation productivity wildfire recovery Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 article 2023 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14060957 2023-07-02T00:39:01Z Warming-driven lightning frequency increases may influence the burning rate within the circumpolar Arctic and influence vegetation productivity (GPP). We considered wildfire occurrence within the different Arctic sectors (Russian, North American, and Scandinavian). We used satellite-derived (MODIS) data to document changes in the occurrence and geographic extent of wildfires and vegetation productivity. Correlation analysis was used to determine environmental variables (lightning occurrence, air temperature, precipitation, soil and terrestrial moisture content) associated with a change in wildfires. Within the Arctic, the majority (>75%) of wildfires occurred in Russia (and ca. 65% in Eastern Siberia). We found that lightning occurrence increase and moisture are primary factors that meditate the fire frequency in the Arctic. Throughout the Arctic, warming-driven lightning influences fire occurrence observed mainly in Eastern Siberia (>40% of explained variance). Similar values (ca. 40%) at the scale of Eurasia and the entire Arctic are attributed to Eastern Siberia input. Driving by increased lightning and warming, the fires’ occurrence boundary is shifting northward and already reached the Arctic Ocean coast in Eastern Siberia. The boundary’s extreme shifts synchronized with air temperature extremes (heat waves). Despite the increased burning rate, vegetation productivity rapidly (5–10 y) recovered to pre-fire levels within burns. Together with increasing GPP trends throughout the Arctic, that may offset fires-caused carbon release and maintain the status of the Arctic as a carbon sink. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Ocean Russian North Siberia Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Arctic Ocean Atmosphere 14 6 957 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
lightning fire ignition arctic fires northward fire migration heat waves arctic vegetation productivity wildfire recovery Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 |
spellingShingle |
lightning fire ignition arctic fires northward fire migration heat waves arctic vegetation productivity wildfire recovery Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 Viacheslav I. Kharuk Maria L. Dvinskaya Alexey S. Golyukov Sergei T. Im Anastasia V. Stalmak Lightning-Ignited Wildfires beyond the Polar Circle |
topic_facet |
lightning fire ignition arctic fires northward fire migration heat waves arctic vegetation productivity wildfire recovery Meteorology. Climatology QC851-999 |
description |
Warming-driven lightning frequency increases may influence the burning rate within the circumpolar Arctic and influence vegetation productivity (GPP). We considered wildfire occurrence within the different Arctic sectors (Russian, North American, and Scandinavian). We used satellite-derived (MODIS) data to document changes in the occurrence and geographic extent of wildfires and vegetation productivity. Correlation analysis was used to determine environmental variables (lightning occurrence, air temperature, precipitation, soil and terrestrial moisture content) associated with a change in wildfires. Within the Arctic, the majority (>75%) of wildfires occurred in Russia (and ca. 65% in Eastern Siberia). We found that lightning occurrence increase and moisture are primary factors that meditate the fire frequency in the Arctic. Throughout the Arctic, warming-driven lightning influences fire occurrence observed mainly in Eastern Siberia (>40% of explained variance). Similar values (ca. 40%) at the scale of Eurasia and the entire Arctic are attributed to Eastern Siberia input. Driving by increased lightning and warming, the fires’ occurrence boundary is shifting northward and already reached the Arctic Ocean coast in Eastern Siberia. The boundary’s extreme shifts synchronized with air temperature extremes (heat waves). Despite the increased burning rate, vegetation productivity rapidly (5–10 y) recovered to pre-fire levels within burns. Together with increasing GPP trends throughout the Arctic, that may offset fires-caused carbon release and maintain the status of the Arctic as a carbon sink. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Viacheslav I. Kharuk Maria L. Dvinskaya Alexey S. Golyukov Sergei T. Im Anastasia V. Stalmak |
author_facet |
Viacheslav I. Kharuk Maria L. Dvinskaya Alexey S. Golyukov Sergei T. Im Anastasia V. Stalmak |
author_sort |
Viacheslav I. Kharuk |
title |
Lightning-Ignited Wildfires beyond the Polar Circle |
title_short |
Lightning-Ignited Wildfires beyond the Polar Circle |
title_full |
Lightning-Ignited Wildfires beyond the Polar Circle |
title_fullStr |
Lightning-Ignited Wildfires beyond the Polar Circle |
title_full_unstemmed |
Lightning-Ignited Wildfires beyond the Polar Circle |
title_sort |
lightning-ignited wildfires beyond the polar circle |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14060957 https://doaj.org/article/0814244037fb4c2c823aa63ea890f67e |
geographic |
Arctic Arctic Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Russian North Siberia |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Russian North Siberia |
op_source |
Atmosphere, Vol 14, Iss 957, p 957 (2023) |
op_relation |
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/14/6/957 https://doaj.org/toc/2073-4433 doi:10.3390/atmos14060957 2073-4433 https://doaj.org/article/0814244037fb4c2c823aa63ea890f67e |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14060957 |
container_title |
Atmosphere |
container_volume |
14 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
957 |
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1772177953579335680 |