Arctic Circle wildfires record-breaking emissions. 52 megatons of CO2 so far in July
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After a record-breaking heatwave in Arctic, wildfires spread across the areas of Greenland, Siberia, and Alaska at unprecedented levels, surpassing last month's 50 megatonnes CO2 emissions record.
I think it's fair to say July Arctic Circle wildfires are now at unprecedented levels having surpassed previous highest Copernicus GFAS estimated July total CO2 emission (2004/2005), & last month's 50 megatonnes, and still increasing. —Mark Parrington, senior scientist at ECMWF
To see the 50 Mt in context, it is the equivalent to 2017 full year’s worth of national fossil fuel CO2 emissions for Bulgaria, Hungary and Sweden.
Approximately 100 Mt CO2 emitted by Arctic wildfires between 1 June & 21 July 2019 is getting close to 2017 fossil fuel CO2 emissions of Belgium. Those are huge numbers and it's no brainer that wilfires’ smoke is a significant source of CO2 emissions.
Heavy smoke circulation
You can see a predicted circulation of heavy smoke directly in the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring System (CAMS) layer on Windy (Aerosol layer).
Or watch the short video depicting predicted circulation of heavy smoke, from many Krasnoyarsk Krai and Central Russia wildfires, around giant low over next 2 days (satellite imagery below).
To imagine how big the wildfires are in Russia, Alex Kokcharov, who is a Country risk analyst focused on Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Eurasia and Caucasus, gives you a nice example.
In Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk regions, Siberia, eastern Russia, some 900,000 hectare (or equivalent to entire land area of Cyprus or Lebanon) is affected by forest fires.
Wildfires satellite imagery
Pierre Markuse has amazing Flickr gallery of satellite images on the subject. Below are just few examples of how hard were Russia and Alaska hit by the wildfires.
Wildfires in Krasnoyarsk Krai and Sakha Republic
21 July 2019
Several wildfires and smoke plumes between about 57°N and 70°N in Krasnoyarsk Krai and Sakha Republic, Russia. Aqua and Terra MODIS data through NASA Worldview.

Download this image in the original 4128 x 5040 px resolution here
Wildfires east of Batagay, Verkhoyansky District
16 July 2019
About 67.8°N, east of Batagay, Verkhoyansky District, Sakha Republic, Russia
Download this image in the original 9930 x 5040 px resolution here.
Download this image in the original 9930 x 5040 px resolution here.
Wildfires near Lena River
16 July 2019
About 66°N just south of the Arctic Circle near the Lena River, Sakha Republic, Russia
Download this image in the original 1799 x 1926 px resolution here.
Wildfires in Alaska
16 July 2019
Wildfires at about 67°N, Alaska, USA
Download this image in the original 4128 x 5040 px resolution here
Wildfire activity in the Arctic Circle in June 2019
Unprecedented wildfire activity in the Arctic Circle in June 2019, with notable widespread fires in Sakha Republic, Russia for much of the last 3 weeks, as estimated with CAMS Global Fire Assimilation System (GFAS) data based on MODIS.
Related links
- The next BIG THING
- Video of the week: Scientist captures sled dogs walking on Greenland's melting ice sheet
- Why it doesn't matter what the climate-models tell us about the global warming
- Extreme heatwave in Alaska: Anchorage hits highest temperature on record
- Fossil CO2 emissions of all world countries, 2018 report
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OMG! The planet, is killing... the planet.... um.....
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@articfox Well, yes. We are not alone in that business. Bad for us, in fact. Good news is we now have instruments like CAMS available at our fingertips, right?
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@pavelneuman
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/world-meteorological-organization_unusually-hot-and-dry-conditions-in-parts-activity-6554307069493686272-G-pf
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Some interesting and useful links from GWIS (Global Wildfires Information System) and from EFFIS (European Forest Fire Information System) concerning the risk of wildfire.
http://gwis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/static/gwis_current_situation/public/index.html
http://effis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/applications/monthly-forecast/
http://effis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/about-effis/brief-history/
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Жесть полная конечно...
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save the planet and humanity stop grinding sterile scientificism, pickle associations, researchers who have always sought to find nothing, infantilism Grunberg, I do not care leadership and politics of the pyramid system that is in the process to explode ....... there are no solutions there are only answers
inform Mr Antonio GUTERREZ UN OR GET WE HIS PERSONAL EMAILS
look at motorpersyn-77webself.net
"It is the INFINITE PERFORMANCE i 100% all upstream POLLUTIONS downstream direct and indirect zero / and zero inflation FOR THE CENTURIES OF THE CENTURIES"
it is the infinite free electricity and the 3 infinite free sweet waters on the planet in 5 years CO² CO zero millions of free factories amortized in 3 months,
It is also immediately in 8 months on the world the reduction of direct CO² 15% indirect 500%, CO 95% to 100% of the thermal engines and 15/20% of the consumptions of energy and we have other inventions of the same design
it is more co² electric vehicles, snow cannons, global transport, CO² capturing machines or to eradicate the plastic of the seas, it is the first step of rescue of the agriculture of capitals which will disappear arabie / tropical belt ect .....we never know there are always men of intelligence and affectivity of our planet to advance what is credible
help us INFORM THE WORLD, M guterez, Mis Lagarde FMI ect......
Best greetingsR PERSYN
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Hi,
That sounds frustrating, and so we (people) have become our own enemies... In 2011, if I'm not mistaken, Denmark pledged 40% carbon reduction by 2020. Now, Denmark’s new government raised the climate change issue to the highest priority. By the way, it was the first country to implement Ministry of the Environment of Denmark and the environmental law.
Jesper Berggreen wrote about the new Danish climate plan here:
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/10/12/the-new-danish-climate-plan-together-for-a-greener-future-hire writers
