Record-high CO 2 emissions from boreal fires in 2021

Extreme wildfires are becoming more common and increasingly affecting Earth's climate. Wildfires in boreal forests have attracted much less attention than those in tropical forests, although boreal forests are one of the most extensive biomes on Earth and are experiencing the fastest warming. We used a satellite-based atmospheric inversion system to monitor fire emissions in boreal forests. Wildfires are rapidly expanding into boreal forests with emerging warmer and drier fire seasons. Boreal fires, typically accounting for 10% of global fire carbon dioxide emissions, contributed 23% (0.48 billion metric tons of carbon) in 2021, by far the highest fraction since 2000. 2021 was an abnormal year because North…

• NA
  National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• GF
  Global Foundation for Eating Disorders
• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Award: 41921005
• BF
  Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie

  Award: 50EE1904
• LR
  Langley Research Center
• TS
  Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School

  Award: QD2021024C