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Alberta wildfire 2016: Apt contribution from anomalous planetary wave dynamics.

ABSTRACT: In May-June 2016 the Canadian Province of Alberta suffered one of the most devastating wildfires in its history. Here we show that in mid-April to early May 2016 the large-scale circulation in the mid- and high troposphere of the middle and sub-polar latitudes of the northern hemisphere featured a persistent high-amplitude planetary wave structure dominated by the non-dimensional zonal wave number 4. The strongest anticyclonic wing of this structure was located over western Canada. In combination with a very strong El Niño event in winter 2015/2016 this favored highly anomalous, tinder-dry and high-temperature conditions at the surface in that area, entailing an increased fire hazard there. This critically contributed to the ignition of the Alberta Wildfire in May 2016, appearing to be the costliest disaster in Canadian history thus far.

SUBMITTER: Petoukhov V

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6098075 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Alberta wildfire 2016: Apt contribution from anomalous planetary wave dynamics.

Petoukhov Vladimir V Petri Stefan S Kornhuber Kai K Thonicke Kirsten K Coumou Dim D Schellnhuber Hans Joachim HJ

Scientific reports 20180817 1

In May-June 2016 the Canadian Province of Alberta suffered one of the most devastating wildfires in its history. Here we show that in mid-April to early May 2016 the large-scale circulation in the mid- and high troposphere of the middle and sub-polar latitudes of the northern hemisphere featured a persistent high-amplitude planetary wave structure dominated by the non-dimensional zonal wave number 4. The strongest anticyclonic wing of this structure was located over western Canada. In combinatio ...[more]

PMID: 30120398

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Dataset Information

Alberta wildfire 2016: Apt contribution from anomalous planetary wave dynamics.

Publications

Alberta wildfire 2016: Apt contribution from anomalous planetary wave dynamics.

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