Climate science has focused on avoiding false alarms when linking extreme weather to climate change. But when meteorologists warn of hazardous weather, they include a second key measure of success — the probability of detection.
103 Search results found for: “wildfires”
UW President Ana Mari Cauce delivered her annual address to the community Oct. 12 at wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House on the University of Washington campus. Highlights of the speech are reflected in this video. The audience was entirely virtual this year in accordance with public health guidelines.
Researchers at the University of Washington, Portland State University and the University of Oregon have shown that deep-seated landslides in the central Oregon Coast Range are triggered mostly by rainfall, not by large offshore earthquakes. The open-access paper was published Sept. 16 in Science Advances. “Geomorphologists have long understood the importance of rainfall in triggering landslides, and our study is simply driving home just how important it is,” said first author Sean LaHusen, who did the work as part of…
With most of the Northwest blanketed by wildfire smoke, public officials and health experts suggest staying inside as much as possible to reduce exposure to the significant health risks of wildfire smoke. However, inequity in our communities means not every home provides great protection and many workers in disadvantaged populations can’t afford to stay home, says Anjum Hajat, assistant professor of epidemiology in the UW School of Public Health. Hajat’s expertise covers the impact air pollution — including from wildfires…
With wildfire smoke blanketing most of the western U.S. this week, public health experts suggest staying inside as much as possible to protect yourself from smoky air. If you don’t have air conditioning or an air purifier in your home, it’s possible to make your own inexpensive purifier. Here’s how.
Agencies that are well practiced in putting out wildfires are now learning a new skill: how to set the spark and fan the flames. That’s the case for the state Department of Natural Resources, which is starting to use prescribed burning as part of its strategy for fighting wildfires.
The University of Washington has a long history of leading research into the impacts of wildfires from an ecological and health perspective. We worked with two experts to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about wildfires in the Pacific Northwest, including the ways that the pandemic is increasing our community’s vulnerability to extreme wildfire events in the region.
A University of Washington study, published this winter in Fire Ecology, takes a big-picture look at what climate change could mean for wildfires in the Northwest, considering Washington, Oregon, Idaho and western Montana.
University of Washington researchers have discovered that large predators play a key yet unexpected role in keeping smaller predators and deer in check. Their “fatal attraction” theory finds that smaller predators are drawn to the kill sites of large predators by the promise of leftover scraps, but the scavengers may be killed themselves if their larger kin return for seconds.
In the first major study following the devastating Carlton Complex fire in north central Washington, researchers from the University of Washington and U.S. Forest Service found that previous tree thinning and prescribed burns helped forests survive the fire.
Researchers from the University of Washington and Michigan Technological University have created the first comprehensive database of all the wildfire fuels that have been measured across North America. Ultimately, it can help scientists make more informed decisions about fire and smoke situations.
Brian Harvey’s research focuses on understanding forest disturbances — like wildfires and insect outbreaks — and how forest structure and function are shaped by disturbances, interactions among disturbances, and climate. His work emphasizes field studies that are integrated with large spatial datasets and analyses, drawing on insights from landscape and community ecology. Over a decade, he has conducted research on the disturbance ecology of forests in coastal California, the Rockies, and the interior Pacific Northwest.
More than 99 percent of wildfires in the last 40 years have been east of the Cascade Crest. But evidence that suggests Western Washington also has a history of large wildfires, each burning hundreds of thousands of acres. We might not be familiar with them, because most happened centuries ago.
Three University of Washington graduate students are among this year’s recipients of a prestigious NASA fellowship that funds student research projects in the fields of Earth and planetary sciences and astrophysics.
A new excavation site in North Dakota shows evidence from the day a giant meteor struck Earth, marking the beginning of the end for the dinosaurs and 75 percent of animal life.
New research by the University of Washington and U.S. Geological Survey suggests many lakes pose little threat to global carbon levels, at least for now.
University of Washington researchers contributed to the Fourth National Climate Assessment that considers impacts, risks and adaptation across the United States.
The University of Washington Climate Impacts Group and regional tribal partners have developed a collection of resources that may be useful to tribes at any stage in the process of evaluating their vulnerability to climate change. The project is a partnership among tribes, tribal associations, universities and the federal government.
Massive wildfires, which may be getting more intense due to climate change and a long history of fire-suppression policies, have strikingly unequal effects on minority communities, a new study shows.
Forest biologist and University of Washington professor David Peterson explains which natural materials burn hotter and faster during a wildfire, what homeowners can do to protect their properties and how climate change is impacting the fire season.
A new study has found that cover in tall trees is the key habitat requirement for the spotted owl, not total canopy cover. It indicated that spotted owls largely avoid cover created by stands of shorter trees.
A new book focuses on climate change risks in the Northern Rocky Mountains, and how managers of public lands can prepare.
A study of a Greenland ice core shows that during large climate swings, chemically reactive oxidants shift in a different direction than expected, which means we need to rethink what controls these molecules in our air.
A new study finds that morel mushrooms cluster in groups across burned areas in the forest after a wildfire. It’s one of the only scientific studies to actually quantify morels’ abundance after a fire.
Washington Sea Grant was recently awarded nearly $900,000 to help coastal communities protect against marine hazards, including tsunamis, winter storms and sea-level rise.
A study by the UW and others finds that the darkening of the Greenland ice sheet is not due to an increase in wildfires, but is a side effect of a warming climate.
Two University of Washington scientists are featured in a new series — created by the National Science Foundation, NBC Learn and The Weather Channel — that focuses on natural hazards. Each of the short videos features an NSF-supported scientist who studies one of ten types of natural disasters. Two of them are from the UW’s Department of Earth & Space Sciences. David Montgomery, a UW professor of Earth and space sciences, studies past and present landslides to try to understand…
Two University of Washington scientists are featured in a new series — created by the National Science Foundation, NBC Learn and The Weather Channel — that focuses on natural hazards. Each of the short videos features an NSF-supported scientist who studies one of ten types of natural disasters. Two of them are from the UW’s Department of Earth & Space Sciences. David Montgomery, a UW professor of Earth and space sciences, studies past and present landslides to try to understand…
In a commentary published Sept. 17 in Science, a team of scientists, including University of Washington researchers Jerry Franklin and James Agee, describe unique opportunities and provide suggestions to reform forest fire management to reduce the impacts of inevitable wildfires in future years.
A new model for snow-fed mountain wetlands projects that the extremely dry conditions seen this year could be commonplace by the 2070s, affecting mountain species.
This list includes experts who can talk about wildfire behavior and trends, responding to wildfires during the COVID-19 pandemic, effects of wildfire smoke on human health, and rebuilding after fires. Also see a list of climate scientists and weather experts. Jump to: Wildfire behavior, risks, causes and trends Wildfire response during COVID-19 pandemic Smoke, air quality and human health Post-wildfire: community impacts, rebuilding Wildfire behavior, risks, causes and trends: Brian Harvey Assistant professor, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences bjharvey@uw.edu | 206-685-9929 (desk)…
UW scientists worked with managers of federal parks and forests to come up with a strategy to address warmer temperatures, increased wildfires and more flooding in the North Cascades region.
University of Washington climate scientist Amy Snover is one of two lead authors for the Northwest chapter of the newly published National Climate Assessment.
Detailed ice core measurements show smog-related ratios leveling off in 1970, and suggests these deposits are sensitive to the same chemicals that cause acid rain.
An intensive two week field course helped 20 University of Washington students learn firsthand about the challenges of managing dry, fire-prone forests of the Pacific Northwest.
A new comprehensive report co-authored by the UW’s Climate Impacts Group looks at what climate change will mean for Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
The UW’s Climate Impacts Group is part of a national report and first-ever national meeting on adapting to the effects of a changing climate.
We’re always looking to expand our experts lists. UW researchers who want to be added to our directory for the news media can contact the public information officer for their area of expertise. CLIMATE & WEATHER | ENVIRONMENT | MEDICINE | PUBLIC HEALTH | PUBLIC POLICY & POLITICS | SOCIAL ISSUES | SPACE & AERONAUTICS | TECH | WORLD ISSUES CLIMATE & WEATHER Climate change: Regional and global climate change. Flooding and landslides: Causes and consequences of flooding and landslides. Weather:…
Biofuels are increasingly popular, but also controversial.
May 18 marks the 30th anniversary of the eruption of Mount St.