Storms start to move out of Minnesota, continue for western Wisconsin

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The smoky haze Minnesotans experienced earlier this week was the result of an unusually high number of wildfires burning in Alaska and western Canada. 

On this week's Climate Cast, we looked at how climate change contributes to these fires in boreal forests and is also fueled by them in what MPR Meteorologist calls a feedback loop. 


"There has been a fairly significant increase in fire activity in the North American boreal region over the past four to five decades," said Eric S. Kasischke, a professor of geographical sciences at the University of Maryland. 

More late-season fires are also problematic to the environment, he said on 

"That actually adds more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere because you're burning deep organic soils that are present in these boreal forests that contain large amounts of carbon," Kasischke said. 

The larger amounts of carbon develop in these forests because of the permafrost that prevents organic matter from decomposing. When fires hit these forests later in the season, the soil is thawed and burns deeper, he said.

Emily Kaiser

Author

On this week's Climate Cast, we looked at how climate change contributes to these fires in boreal forests and is also fueled by them in what MPR Meteorologist calls a feedback loop.

Rising temperatures around northern forests is creating better conditions for wildfires. The smoky haze Minnesotans experienced earlier this week was the result of an unusually high number of wildfires burning in Alaska and western Canada. But when northern forests burn, they also release more carbon into the atmosphere How is climate change contributing to and feeding off of the fires in boreal forests? GUEST: Eric S. Kasischke of the University of Maryland

Is climate change fueling more wild fires?

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