Phys.org June 2, 2021 An international team of researchers (Japan, USA – NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, South Korea) assessed comprehensive air pollution (PM2.5) in the Arctic for the past 15 years to clarify the relationships between variations in PM2.5 and aerosols, wildfires, and the relevant climate patterns. They found 13 out of the 20 months with highest PM2.5 in the Arctic during the 15-year period were in summer. The elevated PM2.5 levels were highly correlated with relatively higher organic carbon aerosol concentrations, implying active wildfires. In those months, the wildfires likely occurred under extremely warm and dry conditions. Those […]
Tag Archives: Wildfires
What Is ‘Hot Lightning’? Satellites Reveal Which Strikes Are Most Likely to Start Wildfires
IEEE Spectrum August 2, 2019 The U.S. National Lightning Detection Network keeps a record of virtually all lightning that strikes the ground anywhere in the United States. That network is maintained by Helsinki-based Vaisala. The company researchers plan to combine all the data available to them to pinpoint exactly which flashes pose the greatest threat. Lightning that harbors a continuing current is more likely to start fires and damage homes or equipment. A continuing current is not as powerful as the flash itself. While a flash might have a peak current of 20,000 amps (averaged from the multiple composite strokes that […]