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Climate change is the leading cause of wildfires in the United States, according to a study

A new study has found why wildfires are more prevalent in the United States than ever before. Analysts say this is due to climate change.

Briefly essential

  • The area of ​​forest destroyed by fire doubles every year in the United States.
  • Analysts say climate change is to blame.
  • In the study, they examined the factors that contribute to the lack of air concentration.

Climate change is the main reason for this, according to a new study For a devastating wildfire In the United States. Between 2001 and 2018, fires in the western United States destroyed an average of 13,500 square kilometers of land each year. More than twice as much as between 1984 and 2000. “It’s much faster than we previously thought,” said Rong Fu, a Los Angeles Times climate analyst.

Fu and his team wanted to understand what led to a significant deterioration in the situation in the short term. To do this, they analyzed various factors for the study, which was published Monday in the special issue of PNAS. These affect what is called air saturation deficiency (VPD). This value refers to how much moisture the air absorbs at a given temperature.

The number of days with high VPD value has risen sharply

The greater the shortage, the more Water Pulled from the ground and out to the plants. These then dry out, increasing the risk of wildfires.

Researchers believe that Increase in wildfires The summer months in the western United States are closely related to the lack of air concentration. From 2001 to 2018, the number of days with high VPD value increased by 94 percent, the study said. This is from May to September and compared to the period previously studied.

Natural climate fluctuations account for only 32 percent of the average increase in VPD. According to the calculations of Fu and his team. There has been a 68 percent increase over the last 20 years Global warming Rediscovered.

“It simply came to our notice then Fire Positively Weather Explain well with weather data, ”Fu said. However, now less than a third of these natural phenomena can be detected. Some models assume that up to 88 percent of the discrepancies in VDP values ​​are due to man-made global warming.

More on the topic:

Meteorological Water Fire Climate Change Study