Alaska on fire: Thousands of lightning strikes and a warming climate put Alaska on pace for another historic fire season

Fires today are hotter and more destructive, thanks in part to a warming climate.

Rick Thoman, Alaska Climate Specialist, University of Alaska Fairbanks • conversation
July 6, 2022 • ~7 min

World’s Longest Lightning Bolt Struck 3 US States at Once
VOA Learning English • voa
Feb. 1, 2022 • ~3 min

AI could boost accuracy of lightning forecasts

AI could improve lightning forecasts to help prepare for potential wildfires, improve safety warnings, and create more accurate long-range climate models.

Hannah Hickey-U. Washington • futurity
Dec. 14, 2021 • ~7 min

Monsoons make deserts bloom in the US Southwest, but climate change is making these summer rainfalls more extreme and erratic

Monsoons are weather patterns that bring thunderstorms and heavy rains to hot, dry areas when warm, moist ocean air moves inland. They’re challenging to forecast, especially in a changing climate.

Christopher L. Castro, Professor of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona • conversation
Oct. 1, 2021 • ~9 min

Lightning may have paved way for life on Earth

How did life on Earth start? Researchers say it could've been billions and billions of lightning strikes unleashing the planet's phosphorus.

Fred Mamoun-Yale • futurity
March 18, 2021 • ~5 min

Origin of life: lightning strikes may have provided missing ingredient for Earth's first organisms

Lightning strikes may have helped spark life on Earth, and may be continuing to help life start on other Earth-like planets.

Sandra Piazolo, Professor in Structural Geology and Tectonics, University of Leeds • conversation
March 17, 2021 • ~6 min

Climate change makes ‘wildfire weather’ worse

With unusual lightning storms sparking intense wildfires engulfing California, experts warn that rising temperatures will make the situation worse.

Rob Jordan-Stanford • futurity
Sept. 2, 2020 • ~7 min

Extreme wildfires can create their own dangerous weather, including fire tornadoes – here's how

Persistent heat waves and dry lightning are part of the problem. For firefighters, the erratic behavior gets dangerous quickly.

Leila Carvalho, Professor of Meteorology and Climatology, University of California, Santa Barbara • conversation
Aug. 25, 2020 • ~6 min

Western wildfires are spinning off tornadoes – here’s how fires create their own freakish weather

Persistent heat waves and dry lightning are part of the problem. For firefighters, the erratic behavior gets dangerous quickly.

Leila Carvalho, Professor of Meteorology and Climatology, University of California, Santa Barbara • conversation
Aug. 25, 2020 • ~6 min

‘Superbolts’ have 1000X the energy of regular lightning

Superbolts, which are far more powerful than regular lightning, strike over oceans between November and February. A new map shows where they hit most.

Hannah Hickey-UW • futurity
Sept. 10, 2019 • ~5 min

/

4