"Wildfires above the Arctic Circle in June have unleashed carbon emissions that are the third highest for the time of year in two decades of monitoring, European scientists said on Thursday.

As climate change raises Arctic temperatures, wildfires have shifted north where they blaze through boreal forest and tundra, releasing vast amounts of greenhouse gases from carbon-rich organic soils.

The latest data from European Union's Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS) showed some 6.8 megatonnes of carbon have been released this month, only less than in June 2019 and June 2020, which saw roughly double the emissions."

Gloria Dickie reports for Reuters June 27, 2024. [2]