With global warming, the high northern latitudes have seen many record-breaking fires in boreal forests in recent years. A new research project, launched this week, with leading experts from Europe and the US will investigate how fires near the Arctic affect the future climate.
– Forest fires have become more intense, more frequent and more extensive in several areas, with global warming as one contributing factor. When fires get out of control, they can severely impact human health, society and environment, said Marianne Tronstad Lund, research director at CICERO and project leader.
The new research project BorealBlaze is funded by the Research Council in Norway and will conclude its work in 2029.
– Our aim with is to contribute to improved projections of climate change and risk, for the high latitudes and globally, which is crucial for decision-makers who aim to secure the basis of life for people and nature, Lund continued.
Fires that occur north of 60 degrees have special characteristics that can make the climate impact different from fires elsewhere. This includes the time of year the fires occur, the composition of gases and particles in the smoke and the proximity to snow- and ice-covered areas. Currently significant gaps remain in the knowledge about how forest fires in the north can be expected to change and the entailing climate consequences.
– The BorealBlaze research project brings together some of the world's leading experts on climate models, aerosols, the carbon cycle and boreal forest fires to fill this knowledge gap, said Lund.