Alaska has experienced 300 fires of late. If all the wildfire incidents that happened this year would be factored in with upcoming ones, then 2015 may soon be considered the state's worst wildfire season ever.
Although the fires have been controlled during the past week, approximately 5 million acres were already burned. Experts say that this signifies the effects of climate transformation in the state.
Based on records, Alaska has already experienced an increase in temperature by more than 3 degrees Fahrenheit during the past 50 years compared to any other continental states in the country. With this, the famous glaciers of the state have melted and approximately 75 million metric tons have been lost.
The permafrost, which serves as the main stabilizing ground of 80 percent of Alaska, also saw a significant imbalance. This is alarming as thawing of the said permafrost may destroy roads, buildings and other structures in the state.
"People don't fathom how big Alaska is," said Tim Mowry, spokesperson from the Alaska Division of Forestry. Fires swallowing about 300,000 acres of land may happen even without people's knowledge because there are no interventions against the forest fires and because of their location, he believes.
Another environmental disaster that needs attention is the intense disintegration of the Arctic coastlines. This is the result of the continuous rise in sea levels, exposing barrier lands and submerging them to the waves.
Some areas in Alaska, such as Kivalina, are facing the possibility of relocation because the land areas may soon be engulfed by the sea. The ice meltdown happening in the state was also noted during the earlier part of the year when the organizers of the Iditarod sled dog race decided to conduct the starting place for the event up north due to the marked lack of snow on the land.
Despite the impending loss of structures and ice and the rise in sea level, experts still believe that the most striking transformation that can risk the health and existence of Alaska's forests and subsequently contribute to the worsening climate change in the world are the massive wildfires. Seventeen percent of U.S. forests are found in Alaska. Fires frequently happen in the said forests; however, experts are concerned that a major combustive level may soon unfold. This is because the fires and blazes are widespread and extreme. Modifying the entire ecosystem could soon be a possibility.
"The more severe the fire, the deeper that it burns through the organic layer, the higher the chance it will go through this complete conversion," said Ted Schuur, an ecologist at Northern Arizona University. Schuur is particularly interested in permafrost and stays in Fairbanks during the summer period. The events that occur in the summer of 2015 may put the entire environmental situation of the areas burnt by wildfires in danger for the next century and beyond, he believes.
Photo: FairbanksMike | Flickr
