"WASHINGTON — This year’s vast wildfires in far northeastern Russia were linked to broader changes in a warming Arctic, according to a report Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Wildfires are a natural part of many boreal ecosystems. But the extent of flames during the 2020 fire season was unprecedented in the 2001-2020 satellite record, and is consistent with the predicted effects of climate change, said Alison York, a University of Alaska Fairbanks fire scientist and a contributor to the annual Arctic Report Card.
The recent wildfires were exacerbated by elevated air temperatures and decreased snow cover on the ground in the Arctic region, the report found."
Christina Larson reports for the Associated Press December 8, 2020.
SEE ALSO:
"Shift to a Not-So-Frozen North Is Well Underway, Scientists Warn" (New York Times)
"Arctic Report Card: Update for 2020" (NOAA Arctic Program)
"Annual Report Card Marks Another Disastrous Year for the Arctic" (Inside Climate News)
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