Lecture on Zombie Fires and Climate Change
Introduction
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Understanding Forest Fires
- Fire Seasons: Typical time of the year when fires are likely to start and spread.
- Zombie Fires: Fires that overwinter, hidden underground, and can reignite in the next fire season.
- Common in boreal forests (e.g., Alaska, Canada).
- Nicknamed due to their ability to "rise from the grave."
Characteristics of Zombie Fires
- Can burn up to 8 months, difficult to detect when dormant.
- Often recorded as new fires when they reignite.
- Known to exist, but not extensively documented.
Stages of Zombie Fires
- Fire appears to stop burning.
- Fire smolders underground, undetected under snow.
- Fire reignites at the start of the new fire season.
- Fire spreads and burns more forest area.
Challenges in Managing Zombie Fires
- Can appear before official fire seasons.
- Difficult to manage due to lack of clear ignition sources.
- Increase reported in northern regions.
Research and Causes
- Climate change suspected as a cause of increased zombie fires.
- Study highlights conditions for overwintering:
- Large burned area: More chances for fires to overwinter.
- Hotter summers: Correlation with the formation of zombie fires.
- Burn depth: Deeper burns increase overwintering chances.
Climate Change and its Impact
- Arctic warming twice as fast as the global average, enhancing fire conditions.
- Possible positive feedback loop:
- Stronger fire seasons → More zombie fires → Stronger fire seasons.
Environmental Concerns
- Zombie fires emit CO2, contributing to climate change.
- Between 2002-2008, 3.5 teragrams of CO2 emitted in Alaska and the Northwest Territories.
- Zombie fires release more methane than regular fires, intensifying greenhouse effects.
Mitigation Strategies
- Early detection using air and satellite systems.
- Efforts to combat climate change could reduce zombie fire occurrences.
Conclusion
- Importance of understanding and managing zombie fires in the context of climate change.
Additional Information
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