If you’re upset about wildfire smoke, a new study says you ought to stop shaking your fist at the ashen skies and redirect your ire downward, to the ground itself.
What happened: The paper, published yesterday in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, found that at least 76% of carbon emissions (and, by extension, likely much of the smoke) released by the record-breaking 2023 Canadian wildfires came from soil and peat combustion — in other words, organic matter below the forest floor rather than trees and leaves.
Below ground, layers and layers of accumulated moss, needles, roots, and other things that can feed a fire pile up over many years — even longer than the trees have been growing. When all that material dries out, it turns into an enormous fuel supply for wildfires.
Why it’s happening: Hotter weather pulls moisture out of the ground faster, making it more likely to burn.
In 2023, for example, temperatures were 2.2 C above average. An analysis of that year’s fires determined it was “inescapable that extreme heat and moisture deficits” drove their intensity.
Why it matters: The findings call into question just how effective some forest management techniques, like thinning or fuel breaks, can be at reducing emissions and smoke from wildfires.
“Even if you have massive resources to manage fire or to apply preventative measures, there’s no way we can avoid this,” one of the paper’s authors told the Globe and Mail.
Yes, but: Traditional wildfire fighting strategies can still be valuable for limiting other catastrophic wildfire effects, like rapidly spreading blazes that threaten life and property.—TS
