ENSO modulates wildfire activity in China

Keyan Fang (), Qichao Yao, Zhengtang Guo, Ben Zheng, Jianhua Du, Fangzhong Qi, Ping Yan, Jie Li, Tinghai Ou, Jane Liu, Maosheng He and Valerie Trouet ()
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Keyan Fang: Fujian Normal University
Qichao Yao: National Forestry and Grassland Administration (National Park Administration)
Zhengtang Guo: Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment
Ben Zheng: Colorado State University
Jianhua Du: Ministry of Emergency Management
Fangzhong Qi: China Fire and Rescue Institute
Ping Yan: National Forestry and Grassland Administration (National Park Administration)
Jie Li: National Forestry and Grassland Administration (National Park Administration)
Tinghai Ou: University of Gothenburg
Jane Liu: Fujian Normal University
Maosheng He: Leibniz-Institute of Atmospheric Physics
Valerie Trouet: University of Arizona

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract China is a key region for understanding fire activity and the drivers of its variability under strict fire suppression policies. Here, we present a detailed fire occurrence dataset for China, the Wildfire Atlas of China (WFAC; 2005–2018), based on continuous monitoring from multiple satellites and calibrated against field observations. We find that wildfires across China mostly occur in the winter season from January to April and those fire occurrences generally show a decreasing trend after reaching a peak in 2007. Most wildfires (84%) occur in subtropical China, with two distinct clusters in its southwestern and southeastern parts. In southeastern China, wildfires are mainly promoted by low precipitation and high diurnal temperature ranges, the combination of which dries out plant tissue and fuel. In southwestern China, wildfires are mainly promoted by warm conditions that enhance evaporation from litter and dormant plant tissues. We further find a fire occurrence dipole between southwestern and southeastern China that is modulated by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21988-6

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