Wildfires are once again wreaking havoc in the Arctic Circle, with the EU’s climate change monitor – Copernicus – sounding the alarm. This marks the third time in the past five years that intense fires have swept across the region, with higher air temperatures and drier conditions in Sakha, Russia creating the perfect storm for wildfires to ignite.
According to Copernicus, the smoke from these fires could have a detrimental impact on the Arctic ice’s ability to reflect solar radiation, leading to increased heat absorption by both the land and sea. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) has been closely monitoring the wildfire emissions in the Arctic Circle, noting that the majority of wildfires in June were burning in Russia’s Sakha region.
The carbon emissions from these wildfires in June were the third highest in the past two decades, with 6.8 mega tonnes of carbon released – trailing only behind the fires in 2020 and 2019. Mark Parrington, a senior scientist at CAMS, highlighted the similarities between the current fires and the widespread wildfires in 2019 and 2020.
Professor Gail Whiteman from the University of Exeter emphasized the significance of these wildfires, stating that the Arctic is “ground zero for climate change” and that the increasing Siberian wildfires serve as a warning sign of approaching dangerous climate tipping points. She stressed the urgency for action, noting that what happens in the Arctic has far-reaching consequences.
As climate change continues to raise Arctic temperatures, wildfires have shifted northward, burning through boreal forest and tundra and releasing vast amounts of greenhouse gases. The region experienced extensive wildfires in 2021, with nearly 19 million hectares destroyed. The deputy minister of ecology, management, and forestry in the region reported that more than 160 wildfires had affected nearly 460,000 hectares of land by late June.
In addition to the wildfires, Arctic sea ice has been rapidly declining since the 1980s, further highlighting the urgent need for action to address climate change and its devastating effects on the Arctic region.
