image: Fire scarred Pilgerodendron uviferum (Guaytecas cypress) in Sub-Antarctic rainforests in southernmost Patagonia, Chile. view more
Credit: PNAS
Tree-ring fire scars from 1,767 trees in southern South America reveal a coupling of drought that is driven by the Southern Annular Mode--the north-south movement of winds that circle Antarctica--and regional fire activity at yearly and multidecadal timescales from 1665-1995, suggesting that under current and projected climate conditions in southern South America, SAM-mediated droughts are likely to drive widespread wildfire activity in the 21st century, according to a study.
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Article #17-05168: "Southern Annular Mode drives multicentury wildfire activity in southern South America," by Andrés Holz et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Andrés Holz, Portland State University, OR; tel: 503-725-3158, 503-530-9761; e-mail: <andres.holz@pdx.edu>
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences