Wildfires and Burning Biomass May Have a Larger Role in Climate Change Than Previously Thought

Wildfires may occur naturally, but they could have a major impact on climate change. Scientists have found that wildfires and other types of fires that burn plant matter may have a much bigger role to play than previously thought.

Scientists have long known that burning forests can impact the climate and the public health. Yet they weren't sure exactly how much of an impact it might have. That's why scientists decided to take a closer look in order to find out how much this might contribute to climate change.

The researchers created a three-dimensional computer model simulation of the impacts of biomass burning. In the end, the scientists found that burning biomass is playing a far larger role than expected.

"We calculate that 5 to 10 percent of worldwide air pollution mortalities are due to biomass burning," said Mark Jacobson, one of the researchers, in a news release. "That means that it causes the premature deaths of about 250,000 people each year."

This is perhaps not surprising. Carbon is associated with global warming and when plant biomass burns, this carbon is released into the atmosphere. In addition, other forms of carbon, such as methane gas and the particles generated by fire, can also contribute to poor atmospheric conditions. In fact, a total of 8.5 billion tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide, or about 18 percent of all anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, comes from biomass burning.

The particles themselves that are generated from burning can also contribute to warming temperatures. These darker particles can settle on snow, and can actually soak up heat. This, in turn, can contribute to a warming planet.

"The bottom line is that biomass burning is neither clean nor climate-neutral," said Jacobson. "If you're serious about addressing global warming, you have to deal with biomass burning as well."

The findings are published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.