Northern wildfires spread smoke across continents

Numerous severe wildfires have erupted across the Northern Hemisphere this summer, sending massive smoke plumes over Eurasia and North America.

Studies by the European Union's climate monitor found that intense wildfires had been growing since late spring and throughout summer, with many burning in Canada, the US state of Alaska and eastern Russia.

These wildfires, typically occurring after extended hot and dry periods in vegetation-rich areas, have released increased amounts of carbon and smoke into the air, with the smoke now drifting further northward, even crossing the Arctic Ocean to reach the far north, reported the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, or CAMS.

Emissions from Russian wildfires in June and July were higher than for the preceding two years, and fires in the region of Amur Oblast led to the estimated release of 17.2 megatons of carbon for the two-month period, the highest in 22 years, said CAMS. Russia's official data reveal fewer wildfires this year, but a 50 percent larger affected area.

The growing number and intensity of wildfires are significantly contributing to the rise in smoke emissions, reported The Guardian newspaper.

The surge in smoke emissions resulting from these fires has caused extremely high air pollution levels and can potentially lead to a range of health problems, one expert told The Guardian.

"In the short term, the most obvious complications are to respiratory systems," said Marina Romanello, a research fellow at the UCL Institute for Global Health.

"However, as the incidence of wildfires is increasing, people are being repeatedly exposed to acute levels of wildfire-related air pollution, increasing their risk of developing chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease and cancer," she added.