Research Links Amazon Fires and North American Hurricanes

After studying decades of data on hurricanes, sea surface temperatures, and Amazon fire frequency, researchers have concluded that years in which warm North Atlantic waters create powerful hurricanes are followed by periods of drought and fire in the Amazon rainforest. University of California, Irvine scientists say their research has shown that frequent and powerful North Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes tend to pull a large belt of tropical rainfall to the north, drawing moisture away from the Amazon. The resulting dry spells lead to an increase in severity and duration of fires, which tend to be set in the Amazon by humans clearing land for agriculture. The research is expected to enable meteorologists to better understand seasonal outlooks for drought and fire risk in the Amazon, which could help reduce the extensive rainforest fires that emit large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere.