How wildfires trap carbon for centuries to millennia
University of East Anglia
Charcoal produced by wildfires could trap carbon for hundreds of years and help mitigate climate change, according to new research published today.
The extensive and unprecedented outbreak of wildfires in the arctic and the vast amounts of CO2 they are emitting have been hitting the headlines across the world.
But a new Nature Geoscience study quantifies the important role that charcoal plays in helping to compensate for carbon emissions from fires. And the research team say that this charcoal could effectively 'lock away' a considerable amount of carbon for years to come.
In an average year, wildfires around the world burn an area equivalent to the size of India and emit more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than global road, rail, shipping and air transport combined.
https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-08/uoea-hwt080519.php
