There are about 300 wildfires raging in Alaska right now!
Are they related to the record heat anomaly of may 2015?
Yes of course! The heat wave that engulfed Alaska in May 2015 is partly responsible. And these numerous fires are troubling for multiple reasons:
[quote_box_center]
- Recent research suggests that more Alaskan wildfires, and more large Alaskan fires in particular, are a trend
- In some cases, wildfires in Alaska don’t just consume trees, grasses or tundra. They can burn away soils as well and threaten permafrost, frozen soil beneath the ground.
- One major concern about wildfires becoming more frequent in permafrost areas is the potential to put the vast amounts of carbon stored there at increased risk of being emitted and further amplify warming. [/quote_box_center]
Thus these wildfires contribute to the greenhouse effect!
[…] Look at this map of Alaska´s fires in June 2015. […]