Comments on: Is Global Warming Causing More and Bigger Fires in Colorado? https://gregladen.com/blog/2013/06/13/is-global-warming-causing-more-and-bigger-fires-in-colorado/ Sun, 30 Jun 2013 18:51:39 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.6 By: Chris Winter https://gregladen.com/blog/2013/06/13/is-global-warming-causing-more-and-bigger-fires-in-colorado/#comment-488346 Sun, 30 Jun 2013 18:51:39 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=16945#comment-488346 Matthias:

Warmer air caused by global warming holds more water, so rainstorms are more intense. But in between the rains, the warmer soils dry out faster. That’s the basic idea.

There’s also the fact that rainfall patterns will change. Formerly wet areas may become permanently dryer (although today it’s not possible to model regional effects well enough to predict where this will happen.)

]]> By: Master Mind https://gregladen.com/blog/2013/06/13/is-global-warming-causing-more-and-bigger-fires-in-colorado/#comment-488345 Thu, 27 Jun 2013 00:30:38 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=16945#comment-488345 in respond to Helter Skelter, I should add The Black Forest fire (summer of 2013) is the most destructive fire in the state’s history, and has completely destroyed at least 379 homes, according to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. At least two people have been killed.

]]> By: Helter Skelter https://gregladen.com/blog/2013/06/13/is-global-warming-causing-more-and-bigger-fires-in-colorado/#comment-488344 Sat, 15 Jun 2013 05:14:24 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=16945#comment-488344 There haven’t been more fires and they haven’t been stronger than at any other point. You’re seeing what you want to see.

]]> By: Matthias Mayse https://gregladen.com/blog/2013/06/13/is-global-warming-causing-more-and-bigger-fires-in-colorado/#comment-488343 Fri, 14 Jun 2013 23:57:09 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=16945#comment-488343 “Global warming causes drought, when it isn’t busy causing rain.”

I don’t get it. Could you explain it in more detail?

]]> By: YD https://gregladen.com/blog/2013/06/13/is-global-warming-causing-more-and-bigger-fires-in-colorado/#comment-488342 Fri, 14 Jun 2013 23:37:00 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=16945#comment-488342 There are a few other factors at work in Colorado’s Front Range, in additon to climate change. Lack of mixed and low severity fire over the last century has led to forests which are dense with many more trees than their should be. Historically, these forests were much more open, with many meadows. Today, there are very high levels of potential fuel for wildfires. And many yound trees which act as ladders, allowing fire to travel into the canopy of the forest. This, combined with hot dry summers, leads to very large dangerous wildfires.

]]> By: bks https://gregladen.com/blog/2013/06/13/is-global-warming-causing-more-and-bigger-fires-in-colorado/#comment-488341 Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:48:24 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=16945#comment-488341 http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_23423599/massive-dust-storms-hit-southeast-colorado-evoking-dirty

–bks

]]> By: jeff allison https://gregladen.com/blog/2013/06/13/is-global-warming-causing-more-and-bigger-fires-in-colorado/#comment-488340 Fri, 14 Jun 2013 02:05:35 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/?p=16945#comment-488340 Another way it add to fire potential is with warmer winters and early springs, snowpack melts off sooner and increases the lenght of the fire season itself. Instead of being May-Sept., it’s now more like March-Oct.

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