Energy & Science
‘Zombie Fires’ in the Arctic Pump Out Carbon at Record Pace
Soaring temperatures that reached 38 degrees Celsius in the Arctic Circle reignited wildfires
Source: ESA
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Wildfires that have raged in the Arctic Circle since early spring led to a record spike in pollution from the infernos last month.
Arctic fires emitted 16.3 million metric tons of carbon — or about 60 million metric tons of carbon dioxide — in June. That’s the highest since at least 2003 and almost nine times more than the same month in 2018, according to data from Europe’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. The previous June record was registered last year, when fires were the worst on record.