Pacific-Atlantic Ocean influence on wildfires in northeast China (1774 to 2010)

• Published in: Geophysical Research Letters
• Main Authors: Yao, Qichao, Brown, Peter M., Liu, Shirong, Rocca, Monique E., Trouet, Valerie, Zheng, Ben, Chen, Haonan, Li, Yinchao, Liu, Duanyang, Wang, Xiaochun
• Other Authors: Univ Arizona, Tree Ring Res Lab, College of Forestry; Northeast Forestry University; Harbin China, Rocky Mountain Tree-Ring Research; Fort Collins Colorado USA, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection; Chinese Academy of Forestry; Beijing China, Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory; Colorado State University; Fort Collins Colorado USA, Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research; University of Arizona; Tucson Arizona USA, Department of Statistics; Colorado State University; Fort Collins Colorado USA, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Colorado State University; Fort Collins Colorado USA, School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering; Wuhan University; Wuhan China, Jiangsu Meteorological Observatory; Nanjing China
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION 2017
• Subjects: fire history; drought; dendroecology; Pacific-Atlantic Ocean; China; Pacific; North Atlantic; North Atlantic oscillation
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10150/623055; https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL071821

Identification of effects that climate teleconnections, such as El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), have on wildfires is difficult because of short and incomplete records in many areas of the world. We developed the first multicentury wildfire chronologies for northeast China from fire-scarred trees. Regional wildfires occurred every 7years from the 1700s to 1947, after which fire suppression policies were implemented. Regional wildfires occurred predominately during drought years and were associated with positive phases of ENSO and PDO and negative NAO. Twentieth century meteorological records show that this contingent combination of +ENSO/+PDO/-NAO is linked to low humidity, low precipitation, and high temperature during or before late spring fire seasons. Climate and wildfires in northeast China may be predictable based on teleconnection phases, although future wildfires may be more severe due to effects of climate change and the legacy of fire suppression. National Natural Science Foundation of China [30970481, 41471168]; China National Key Research and Development Program [2016YFA0600800]; Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University [IRT15R09]; China Scholarship Council; Rocky Mountain Tree-Ring Research, Inc.; National Science Foundation (NSF) Accelerating Innovation Research (AIR) program; NSF Hazard SEES project 6 month embargo; First published: 28 January 2017 This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [e-mail].