Last year California suffered its worst series of wildfires, including five of the most destructive six fires on record, all driven by unseasonal winds. New research suggests that the driving winds originated from an unexpected source: typhoons in Korea. The study highlights how events in one region can create a domino effect felt thousands of miles away.
A paper by South Korean and American scientists in Geophysical Letters points the finger at three massive storms that hit the Korean peninsula in quick succession over August and September. The researchers say a single typhoon would have little effect, but the unusual combination of three of them over just 12 days was sufficient to perturb the jet stream. This resulted in an effect known as an atmospheric wave train, which crossed the Pacific and changed the pattern of air flow over North America.
The net result in California was a zone with the lowest atmospheric pressures seen for 40 years, with correspondingly powerful and enduring winds. These winds literally fanned the flames, turning minor wildfires into major conflagrations.
The researchers point to the implication of interconnected global weather systems: in future we are likely to see increasing numbers of extreme weather events, some of which may have impacts far beyond the region where they occur.
