Wildfires in the Arctic often burn far away from population centers, but their impacts are felt around the globe. From field and laboratory work to airborne campaigns and satellites, NASA is studying how climate change is contributing to more frequent and powerful boreal forest and Arctic fires and what that means for climate forecasting, ecosystems and human health.
Droughts can create ideal conditions for wildfires. Dry trees and vegetation provide fuel. Low soil and air moisture make it easier for fires to spread quickly. In these conditions, a spark from lightning, electrical failures, human error or planned fires can quickly get out of control. As Earth’s climate warms and precipitation patterns change, increasingly severe droughts will leave some areas of the world vulnerable to increasingly severe fires. Understanding how fires behave in dry conditions can help firefighters, first responders and others prepare for a hotter, drier future.
NASA’s satellite imagery and model forecasts play an important role in monitoring the performance of crops worldwide and preparing for food shortages. NASA’s view from space helps government agencies forecast food insecurity, like during the drought in Southern Africa in 2018.
Music credit: Anticipating Outcomes by Simon Begg [PRS] Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Kathryn Mersmann (USRA): Lead Producer Maria-Jose Vinas Garcia (Telophase): Lead Writer Ellen T. Gray (ADNET): Producer Trent L. Schindler (USRA): Lead Visualizer Christa Peters-Lidard (NASA/GSFC): Scientist John D. Bolten (NASA/GSFC): Scientist Amy McNally (SAIC): Scientist
