The impact of a 2 x CO{sub 2} climate on lightning-caused fires

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · Journal of Climate

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0442(1994)007<1484:TIOACC>2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:56747

Price, C; Rind, D ^[1]

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1. Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)

Future climate change could have significant repercussions for lightning-caused wildfires. Two empirical fire models are presented relating the frequency of lightning fires and the area burned by these fires to the effective precipitation and the frequency of thunderstorm activity. One model deals with the seasonal variations in lightning fires, while the second model deals with the interannual variations of lightning fires. These fire models are then used with the Goddard Institute for Space Studies General Circulation Model to investigate possible changes in fire frequency and area burned in a 2 x CO{sub 2} climate. In the United States, the annual mean number of lightning fires increases by 44%, while the area burned increases by 78%. On a global scale, the largest increase in lightning fires can be expected in untouched tropical ecosystems where few natural fires occur today. 44 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 56747
• Journal Information: Journal of Climate, Journal Name: Journal of Climate Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 7; ISSN 0894-8755; ISSN JLCLEL
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CLIMATIC CHANGE
FIRES
GENERAL CIRCULATION MODELS
LIGHTNING
NATURAL OCCURRENCE
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
STORMS