Wildfire-atmosphere interactions in a changing climate

Abstract

Wildfires are part of the Earth System since they interact with the atmosphere, the biosphere and the anthroposphere. Climate change is altering global fire activity by modifying atmospheric and vegetation conditions. As a consequence, the effects of wildfires on the atmosphere are expected to change as well. In this thesis we assess how wildfire-atmosphere interactions are being modified due to anthropogenic global warming. Using numerical models, climate projections and statistical data analysis, a significant intensification of the interactions between fires and the atmosphere at different spatio-temporal scales was found.