Korean Researchers Confirm "La Ni?a Phenomenon Triggers Mega Wildfires in US West"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] A study has found that the La Ni?a phenomenon occurring in the equatorial Pacific influences the occurrence of mega wildfires in California, USA.

The Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology announced on the 2nd that a research team led by Professor Yoon Jin-ho of the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering identified the patterns of large wildfire damage and risk in the California region, which appear periodically, through analysis of various climate observation data in an international joint study.

The research team confirmed that the large wildfires and the astronomical scale of damage caused in California since 2000 repeat in cycles of 5 to 7 years, and that this periodic pattern commonly appears in multiple observation datasets. They also revealed that it is the result of complex interactions among ocean, atmosphere, and vegetation linked to the periodic fluctuations of the equatorial Pacific known as El Ni?o-La Ni?a.

As unprecedented wildfire damage has occurred consecutively year after year in the California region recently, research on global warming and the increase in wildfires has been actively conducted.

The research team confirmed that the periodic pattern of climate-related wildfire risk appearing in the California region is closely related to the variability of sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, known as El Ni?o-La Ni?a. The ocean-atmosphere interactions propagating from the Pacific cause regional variability in precipitation, snowfall, and temperature, ultimately affecting plant health.

The La Ni?a phenomenon, characterized by cold water conditions lasting more than five months in the equatorial region of the eastern Pacific, forms a relatively warm and dry climate accompanied by high pressure in the Pacific, which moves westward and eventually propagates to California. This reduces precipitation and snowfall in the upcoming winter and intensifies hot and dry conditions in the following summer, creating a harsh environment where plants wither. This vegetation condition serves as fuel during wildfires, greatly increasing the likelihood of large-scale wildfires.

Professor Yoon said, "As the risk of wildfires continues to rise due to global warming, considering the naturally recurring wildfire risk patterns in the California region in a comprehensive manner is expected to greatly contribute to establishing systems and policies to prevent future global mega wildfires in advance and minimize their damage."

The results of this study were published online on the 31st of last month in the international atmospheric science journal Environmental Research Letters.

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