The Impact of Wildfires on North American Climate Through Ecosystem Changes

In the context of global warming, the increasing wildfire frequency has become a critical climate research focus in North America. This study used the Community Earth System Model (CESM 1.2) to investigate the impacts of 20th-century wildfires on North American climate and hydrology. Summer represents the peak wildfire season in North America, with the Gulf of Mexico and Midwest regions experiencing the most severe effects. Wildfires not only damage vegetation during the fire season but also extend prolonged impacts into non-fire periods, showing distinct seasonal variations. In spring, wildfires increase surface albedo, triggering a cooling effect through enhanced snow cover and delayed snowmelt. Conversely, summer and autumn surface warming stems primarily from wildfire-suppressed vegetation transpiration. Warming near the Gulf of Mexico enhances moisture transport and precipitation, particularly in summer and autumn. Reduced evaporation and increased precipitation from the Gulf of Mexico significantly altered the hydrological cycle across North America, leading to increased runoff continent-wide.