Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio
The Arctic is burning, and Greenland is melting.
Record-breaking temperatures and strong winds are causing wildfires across the Arctic this summer. Alaska has reported over 400 wildfires have spread through mid-July.
Unusually high temperatures and low precipitation are usually the perfect concoctions for wildfires to spread, as demonstrated this summer. Any wildfires that occur in the Arctic during the summer are usually sparked by lightning strikes, but that is not the case this time. Alaska and parts of Siberia have been experiencing temperatures 10 degrees higher than the normal average, which is a reason for the recent chaos.
Greenland is experiencing wildfires next to the island’s ice sheet, which is causing the ice to melt. The island has already lost nearly 200 billion tons of ice in July. A recent satellite image showed multiple melt ponds and burn scars from the recent fire and smoke from the island. On July 31st, a record-breaking 56.5 percent of Greenland’s ice sheet showed signs of melting. August shows no signs of an end to the mess.
The other issue that is that copious amounts of carbon dioxide are being released into the air. The total carbon dioxide emissions from the Arctic wildfires is estimated at about 79 megatons, which is double the emissions from the previous record-setting month back in 2004. These continued emissions are only fueling the global warming crisis across the world.
With temperatures continuing on a warming trend, wildfires are going to be more common. Much of the Arctic is turning brown due the winter warm spells, insect outbreaks, and wildfires. The Arctic plants are losing their resistance to freezing, so they dry out and die.
