Also "zombie fires"

Fires in Siberia cause smoke in the Arctic Circle

Fire-fighting work in Siberia (archive image)(Bild: AFP)

Due to severe forest fires in Siberia and North America, dense clouds of smoke are drifting across the Arctic Circle and eastern Russia - with fatal consequences for climate change. 

According to satellite images from the EU's Copernicus Earth observation program, the cloud of ash and particulate matter travels around 3,000 kilometers over parts of Mongolia, China and Japan. In some areas, particulate matter levels are many times higher than the international limits as a result.

Significant increase in greenhouse gases
High temperatures and drought led to the devastating fires. By mid-July, the fires had emitted as much carbon dioxide as in the months of June and July in the past two years combined.

Fires triggered by lightning are not uncommon in the dense and inaccessible forests of the Arctic Circle and are part of the natural cycle. So-called "zombie fires" smoulder under the earth's surface during the winter months and then break out fully in spring or summer. Due to global warming, the number and intensity of forest fires in the region has increased significantly over the past 20 years.

The fires in the Arctic Circle in turn have a clear impact on climate change, as they emit large quantities of greenhouse gases and destroy forests that store carbon dioxide.