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New spatial analysis of wildfires across the Arctic in May/June 2020, and how they compare to the satellite record (2003-2020). What is burning? Are there peat fires? What about permafrost? 
thread in collab with @m_parrington @CopernicusECMWF #ArcticFires [1/9]
![New spatial analysis of wildfires across the Arctic in May/June 2020, and how they compare to the satellite record (2003-2020). What is burning? Are there peat fires? What about permafrost? thread in collab with @m_parrington @CopernicusECMWF #ArcticFires [1/9]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdcLgL8WoAAKSOB.jpg "New spatial analysis of wildfires across the Arctic in May/June 2020, and how they compare to the satellite record (2003-2020). What is burning? Are there peat fires? What about permafrost? thread in collab with @m_parrington @CopernicusECMWF #ArcticFires [1/9]")
![New spatial analysis of wildfires across the Arctic in May/June 2020, and how they compare to the satellite record (2003-2020). What is burning? Are there peat fires? What about permafrost? thread in collab with @m_parrington @CopernicusECMWF #ArcticFires [1/9]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdcLp_kXgAA-qmZ.png "New spatial analysis of wildfires across the Arctic in May/June 2020, and how they compare to the satellite record (2003-2020). What is burning? Are there peat fires? What about permafrost? thread in collab with @m_parrington @CopernicusECMWF #ArcticFires [1/9]")
thread in collab with @m_parrington @CopernicusECMWF #ArcticFires [1/9]
The Arctic Circle is an ecologically arbitrary line, so I also investigated fires burning north of the treeline, using @NSIDC's tundra & boreal forest boundary, a better representation of the Arctic Zone. May/June 2020 saw 10x more fires than 2003-18 average for this zone. [2/9]
![The Arctic Circle is an ecologically arbitrary line, so I also investigated fires burning north of the treeline, using @NSIDC's tundra & boreal forest boundary, a better representation of the Arctic Zone. May/June 2020 saw 10x more fires than 2003-18 average for this zone. [2/9]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdcMT5-WAAArdQh.png "The Arctic Circle is an ecologically arbitrary line, so I also investigated fires burning north of the treeline, using @NSIDC's tundra & boreal forest boundary, a better representation of the Arctic Zone. May/June 2020 saw 10x more fires than 2003-18 average for this zone. [2/9]")
![The Arctic Circle is an ecologically arbitrary line, so I also investigated fires burning north of the treeline, using @NSIDC's tundra & boreal forest boundary, a better representation of the Arctic Zone. May/June 2020 saw 10x more fires than 2003-18 average for this zone. [2/9]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdcMU5FWoAIkLOT.jpg "The Arctic Circle is an ecologically arbitrary line, so I also investigated fires burning north of the treeline, using @NSIDC's tundra & boreal forest boundary, a better representation of the Arctic Zone. May/June 2020 saw 10x more fires than 2003-18 average for this zone. [2/9]")
Using a Global Landcover dataset, we see corroborating evidence that the spike in fire activity in 2019/20 occurred in both the boreal forest (tree cover) and tundra (herbaceous & shrub cover) ecosystems of the Arctic Circle [3/9]
![Using a Global Landcover dataset, we see corroborating evidence that the spike in fire activity in 2019/20 occurred in both the boreal forest (tree cover) and tundra (herbaceous & shrub cover) ecosystems of the Arctic Circle [3/9]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdcMbetWsAA-Af7.png "Using a Global Landcover dataset, we see corroborating evidence that the spike in fire activity in 2019/20 occurred in both the boreal forest (tree cover) and tundra (herbaceous & shrub cover) ecosystems of the Arctic Circle [3/9]")
Peat soils are widespread in Arctic & Boreal biomes. We can use a global peatland map to determine proportion of the fires burning on mapped areas known to contain peat. Around half of the fires are on peat soils, with a big increase in total fires on peat in 2019 & 2020 [4/9]
![Peat soils are widespread in Arctic & Boreal biomes. We can use a global peatland map to determine proportion of the fires burning on mapped areas known to contain peat. Around half of the fires are on peat soils, with a big increase in total fires on peat in 2019 & 2020 [4/9]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdcMmd-XoAA74P_.png "Peat soils are widespread in Arctic & Boreal biomes. We can use a global peatland map to determine proportion of the fires burning on mapped areas known to contain peat. Around half of the fires are on peat soils, with a big increase in total fires on peat in 2019 & 2020 [4/9]")
![Peat soils are widespread in Arctic & Boreal biomes. We can use a global peatland map to determine proportion of the fires burning on mapped areas known to contain peat. Around half of the fires are on peat soils, with a big increase in total fires on peat in 2019 & 2020 [4/9]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdcMpFiWAAAaUm8.jpg "Peat soils are widespread in Arctic & Boreal biomes. We can use a global peatland map to determine proportion of the fires burning on mapped areas known to contain peat. Around half of the fires are on peat soils, with a big increase in total fires on peat in 2019 & 2020 [4/9]")
![Peat soils are widespread in Arctic & Boreal biomes. We can use a global peatland map to determine proportion of the fires burning on mapped areas known to contain peat. Around half of the fires are on peat soils, with a big increase in total fires on peat in 2019 & 2020 [4/9]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdcMqJ-WsAAd3O1.jpg "Peat soils are widespread in Arctic & Boreal biomes. We can use a global peatland map to determine proportion of the fires burning on mapped areas known to contain peat. Around half of the fires are on peat soils, with a big increase in total fires on peat in 2019 & 2020 [4/9]")
Some of these fires will have ignited underlying peat soils, although the area affected is difficult to determine from satellites. High-res imagery from @Sentinel_hub shows substantial areas of residual smouldering & fire spots burning long after the main fire has passed [5/9]
![Some of these fires will have ignited underlying peat soils, although the area affected is difficult to determine from satellites. High-res imagery from @Sentinel_hub shows substantial areas of residual smouldering & fire spots burning long after the main fire has passed [5/9]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdcMx30WoAAgdd0.jpg "Some of these fires will have ignited underlying peat soils, although the area affected is difficult to determine from satellites. High-res imagery from @Sentinel_hub shows substantial areas of residual smouldering & fire spots burning long after the main fire has passed [5/9]")
![Some of these fires will have ignited underlying peat soils, although the area affected is difficult to determine from satellites. High-res imagery from @Sentinel_hub shows substantial areas of residual smouldering & fire spots burning long after the main fire has passed [5/9]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdcMylfXYAAY4yo.jpg "Some of these fires will have ignited underlying peat soils, although the area affected is difficult to determine from satellites. High-res imagery from @Sentinel_hub shows substantial areas of residual smouldering & fire spots burning long after the main fire has passed [5/9]")
A map of permafrost from @NSIDC can be used to delineate whether fires are burning on continuous vs discontinuous permafrost, & the ice loading of those areas. Almost all of the fires in 2019 & 2020 were on continuous permafrost with high ice loading [6/9]
![A map of permafrost from @NSIDC can be used to delineate whether fires are burning on continuous vs discontinuous permafrost, & the ice loading of those areas. Almost all of the fires in 2019 & 2020 were on continuous permafrost with high ice loading [6/9]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdcM6z1XoAIdCFq.png "A map of permafrost from @NSIDC can be used to delineate whether fires are burning on continuous vs discontinuous permafrost, & the ice loading of those areas. Almost all of the fires in 2019 & 2020 were on continuous permafrost with high ice loading [6/9]")
![A map of permafrost from @NSIDC can be used to delineate whether fires are burning on continuous vs discontinuous permafrost, & the ice loading of those areas. Almost all of the fires in 2019 & 2020 were on continuous permafrost with high ice loading [6/9]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdcM8WCWkAAz00S.png "A map of permafrost from @NSIDC can be used to delineate whether fires are burning on continuous vs discontinuous permafrost, & the ice loading of those areas. Almost all of the fires in 2019 & 2020 were on continuous permafrost with high ice loading [6/9]")
![A map of permafrost from @NSIDC can be used to delineate whether fires are burning on continuous vs discontinuous permafrost, & the ice loading of those areas. Almost all of the fires in 2019 & 2020 were on continuous permafrost with high ice loading [6/9]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdcM-VpXoAAKJLj.jpg "A map of permafrost from @NSIDC can be used to delineate whether fires are burning on continuous vs discontinuous permafrost, & the ice loading of those areas. Almost all of the fires in 2019 & 2020 were on continuous permafrost with high ice loading [6/9]")
![A map of permafrost from @NSIDC can be used to delineate whether fires are burning on continuous vs discontinuous permafrost, & the ice loading of those areas. Almost all of the fires in 2019 & 2020 were on continuous permafrost with high ice loading [6/9]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdcM__LXsAEHemw.jpg "A map of permafrost from @NSIDC can be used to delineate whether fires are burning on continuous vs discontinuous permafrost, & the ice loading of those areas. Almost all of the fires in 2019 & 2020 were on continuous permafrost with high ice loading [6/9]")
Finally, if we look at the latitudinal distribution of all May/June fires north of 60-degrees. We can see a very unusual distribution in 2019 & 2020, a noticeable shift to the north. Watch the animation in the next tweet... [7/9]
![Finally, if we look at the latitudinal distribution of all May/June fires north of 60-degrees. We can see a very unusual distribution in 2019 & 2020, a noticeable shift to the north. Watch the animation in the next tweet... [7/9]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdcNM0LWoAEM5aa.png "Finally, if we look at the latitudinal distribution of all May/June fires north of 60-degrees. We can see a very unusual distribution in 2019 & 2020, a noticeable shift to the north. Watch the animation in the next tweet... [7/9]")
Here's an animation of high latitude May/June fires accumulating from 2003 to 2020, watch the Arctic fires emerging in 2019 and 2020 at the end of the animation. [8/9]
Data sources:
@NASAEarth Fire hotspots processed by @M_parrington @CopernicusECMWF
Global Landcover @EU_ScienceHub: https://forobs.jrc.ec.europa.eu/products/glc2000/products.php
Treeline and Permafrost @NSIDC: https://nsidc.org/data/ggd318
Global peat map (Yu et al., 2010: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230734743_Global_peatland_dynamics_since_the_Last_Glacial_Maximum)
[9/9]
@NASAEarth Fire hotspots processed by @M_parrington @CopernicusECMWFGlobal Landcover @EU_ScienceHub: https://forobs.jrc.ec.europa.eu/products/glc2000/products.phpTreeline and Permafrost @NSIDC: https://nsidc.org/data/ggd318 Global peat map (Yu et al., 2010: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230734743_Global_peatland_dynamics_since_the_Last_Glacial_Maximum)[9/9]
