Burnin' Up in Both Canada and Europe: A Look at the Wildfire's Impact on Air Quality
Forest fires in Canada send smoke drift across Europe
In the wild, wild west (err, north), raging inferno after raging inferno has positioned Canada as the current champion of global smoke-production! And gosh darn it, even the lil ol' countries across the pond are feeling the heat, as those Smokey-the-Bear-defying wildfire plumes make their way, not on a leisurely stroll, but a thorough trot across the Atlantic, troublemaking as they go and leaving a trail of hazy skies and orange-tinted sunsets in their path.
Oh, it ain't all peaches and cream, no sir! The good news is, that dash of orange-red in our sunsets ain't likely gonna harm us for much more than an instagrammable moment. The smoke from these massive wildfires is typically transported in the upper atmospheric layers and tends to avoid engulfing the ground in a smoky fog.
But hold yer horses, partner! There's more smoke on the horizon (pun intended)! The European Union's Earth observation program, Copernicus, has advised that we can expect even more of these pesky plumes in the days to come, making for a perpetual stay in that Stranger Things upside-down aesthetic. The first batch crossed over the Mediterranean, while a second, smokier one made its way to the coasts of northwestern Europe.
While it might have you channeling your inner eco-warrior, it's worth noting that this transatlantic smoke migration isn't necessarily a catastrophe for air quality. After all, we can't blame Mother Nature for giving the world a bit of a rinse, now can we?
But let's not forget the pioneers in pyromania, Canada! Those 100+ active blazes in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario have been keeping Copernicus' Atmospheric Monitoring Service CAMS especially busy. Those wildfire emissions are the culprits behind this unwelcome smoky serenade.
Now that we've got that covered, it seems that mother nature has one hell of a wild child over there in southeastern Russia! Between the Republic of Buryatia and the Trans-Baikal region, large smoke clouds are popping up faster than space potatoes. Good luck keeping up, Copernicus!
The weirdly awesome thing about these wildfires is that they can generate crazy-intense pyrocumulonimbus clouds (PyroCbs). In the smoke-and-ash-filled excitement, they're able to launch smoke, ash, and moisture all the way up into the atmosphere to be picked up by powerful jet streams and sent sailing on their mischievous way.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride, Europe. It's only a temporary stint of hazy, orange-tinted days and night skies. One thing’s for sure: this wildfire season is anything but weather for wimps!
Sources:
[1] ntv.de[2] hny/dpa[3] Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service[4] European Union's Earth observation program
- Canada
- Wildfires
- Europe
The current wildfire situations in Canada, particularly in Saskatwan, Manitoba, and Ontario, are contributing significantly to the wildfire emissions that have been causing hazy skies and orange-tinted sunsets in Europe, as reported by the European Union's Earth observation program.
This scenario raises concerns about the impact of climate-change on environmental-science, prompting discussions within the community policy regarding vocational training for handling such natural disasters and minimizing their environmental impact.
