the project
Gaining a holistic understanding of extreme fires and their impact in the Earth system using satellite data records generated by the ESA Climate Change Initiative
Extreme fires are the most damaging in terms of their effects on climate and the wider environment, yet they remain ill defined. The XFires project aims to gain a holistic understanding of extreme fires and their impact in the Earth system. The project uses a broad selection of relevant climate data records of Essential Climate Variables that have been developed through the European Space Agency’s Claimte Change Initiative to help define and differentiate extreme fires from ‘normal’ fires. The project will then determine the impact of extreme fires using case studies that will address the following questions:
What variables would allow to give a broader and more global definition for an extreme fire?
Have extreme fires increased in recent years? Where and why?
Can they be predicted?
What are impacts of extreme fires on the atmosphere and climate, vegetation, lakes, the cryosphere and on human health?