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Arctic wildfires visible from space

Arctic Wildfires - Level 0

There are hundreds of fires all across the Arctic Circle, in Greenland, Siberia, Scandinavia and Alaska. Smoke is visible from space. The Arctic is warming twice as fast as anywhere on Earth. It is also having its worst wildfire season ever. In Alaska, there are 400 fires out of control. People say the fires are unheard of in history.

The fires could affect global warming. A scientist said: "Temperatures in the Arctic have been increasing at a much faster rate than the global average. Warmer conditions encourage fires to grow." Dry ground, lightning and strong winds are spreading the fires. The fires are releasing CO2 and killing animals.

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Arctic Wildfires - Level 1

There are hundreds of wildfires all across the Arctic Circle, in Greenland, Siberia, Scandinavia and Alaska. The smoke can be seen from space. The Arctic is warming twice as fast as anywhere on Earth. It is also having its worst wildfire season ever. In Alaska, there are 400 fires out of control. The Greenland ice sheet has started melting a month earlier than usual. Meteorologists say the Arctic fires are unheard of in history.

Scientists say the fires could affect global warming. One explained what is causing the fires. He said: "Temperatures in the Arctic have been increasing at a much faster rate than the global average, and warmer conditions encourage fires to grow." Dry ground, lightning and strong winds caused the fires to spread. The methane below the ice is now on fire. This is releasing lots of CO2 into the atmosphere. The fires are destroying habitat and killing animals.

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Arctic Wildfires - Level 2

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There are hundreds of wildfires all across the Arctic Circle. The smoke from them can be seen from space. The Arctic is warming twice as fast as anywhere else on Earth. The Arctic is having its hottest June ever. It is also having its worst wildfire season on record. There are huge fires covering large areas of Greenland, Siberia, Scandinavia and Alaska. In Alaska, there are 400 fires burning out of control. The vast Greenland ice sheet has started melting a month earlier than usual. The World Meteorological Organization called the Arctic fires "unprecedented".

Scientists say the fires and smoke could affect global warming. A meteorologist explained what is causing the fires. He said: "Temperatures in the Arctic have been increasing at a much faster rate than the global average, and warmer conditions encourage fires to grow and persist once they have been ignited." Dry ground, lightning and strong winds have caused the fires to spread. The flames have set fire to methane below the ice. This is releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The fires have destroyed habitat and killed uncountable numbers of animals.

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Arctic Wildfires - Level 3

Hundreds of huge wildfires have broken out all across the Arctic Circle. Areas in the Arctic are warming twice as fast as anywhere else on the planet. There are so many fires and they are so big that the smoke from them can be seen from space. Meteorologists report that the Arctic is having its hottest June ever and is suffering its worst wildfire season on record. There are huge blazes covering large areas of Greenland, Siberia, Scandinavia and Alaska. In Alaska, there are as many as 400 fires burning out of control. In Greenland, melting on the vast Greenland ice sheet has started a month earlier than usual. The World Meteorological Organization has said the Arctic fires are "unprecedented".

Scientists say the fires and suffocating smoke could have an effect on global warming. Meteorologist Mark Parrington explained what is causing the wildfires. He said: "Temperatures in the Arctic have been increasing at a much faster rate than the global average, and warmer conditions encourage fires to grow and persist once they have been ignited." Dry ground, more lightning strikes and strong winds have caused the fires to spread very quickly. A lot of ice has melted and the flames have set fire to methane-filled earth below the ice. This is releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The fires have also caused serious habitat loss and have killed uncountable numbers of animals.

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