The smoke smothering Siberia is really intense

The fires burning in Siberia this year continue to be exceptional. First, overwintering zombie fires awoke in spring. Then, during an intense June heat wave with record-breaking temperatures, extreme fires burned across vast swathes of the Siberian Arctic Circle, a polar region atop Earth. Now in August, fires persist. Satellite images show a thick haze over the region, obscuring the verdant land below. The enduring fires this summer continue the momentous burning in the Arctic Circle over the last two years, compared with the previous 16 years of this modern satellite record. Consider: Fires in the Arctic Circle during 2019 and 2020 have emitted more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than the previous 16 years combined.  Read more...More about Arctic, Climate Change, Wildfires, Science, and Climate Environment