Climate Change May Spark More Lightning Strikes, Igniting Wildfires
But the news isn't all bad—more lightning could also trim the atmosphere's methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Add this to rising seas, more intense hurricanes, and more frequent thunderstorms: Climate change will also spark more lightning.
The frequency of lightning flashes could rise by an estimated 50 percent across the continental U.S. over the next century, researchers report Thursday in the journal Science. That's bad news for wildfires across the country.
Lightning triggers about half the wildfires in the continental U.S., says lead study author David Romps, an atmospheric scientist at the University of California, Berkeley. (Learn "Why Big, Intense Wildfires Are the New Normal.")
A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, says Romps. And moisture is one of the key ingredients for triggering a lightning strike.
Increased lightning will also affect greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, he
