From there, the researchers created another computer model that combined future fire projections with previous calculations linking fires with the amount of carbon emissions they produced. The model estimated a 40 percent rise in lung-irritating carbon aerosols by the 2050s. "Going into this, we expected to see an increase in forest fires simply because temperatures are going to be warmer 40 or 50 years from now," Logan said. "We didn't know how big it was going to be and we didn't know what affect it was going to have on air quality." The results are convincing but not guaranteed, said Gabriele Pfister, an atmospheric scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. If people start using land in different ways or if the types of trees change, among other factors, the future could play out differently, for better or worse. Human interventions could make a positive difference. Clearing forests of underbrush and conducting controlled burns can help reduce the risk of fires. Forest fires are natural events, Pfister added, with an important role in ecosystems. It's our own behavior that we should be concerned about. "We have to be aware that because of our impact on the environment, we are having an impact on these fires as well," she said. "If they get worse, they're not natural anymore." Related Links: Wildfire Smoke May Cause Arctic Cooling Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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