Science Source

Liu, Yongqiang

Geophysical Research Letters

Published date November 8, 2006

North Pacific warming and intense northwestern U.S. wildfires

States that tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies such as La Nina have been an important predictor for wildfires in the southeastern and southwestern U.S
Seeks seasonal predictors for wildfires in the northwestern U.S., a region with the most intense wildfires among various continental U.S. regions
Applies singular value decomposition and regression techniques to summer wildfire and current and antecedent SST conditions during a period of 23 years
Finds that warming in the North Pacific is a major feature in the SST spatial pattern related to intense Northwest wildfires
Finds that the warming appeared in all the major wildfire events during the past two decades and that the relation is statistically significant
Concludes that the North Pacific SST has potential to be a predictor for seasonal Northwest wildfires