Biogeosciences
Biogeosciences
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Articles | Volume 22, issue 21
Articles | Volume 22, issue 21
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-6651-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-6651-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 22, issue 21
Research article
 | 
10 Nov 2025
Research article |  | 10 Nov 2025

Fire activity in the northern Arctic tundra now exceeds late Holocene levels, driven by increasing dryness and shrub expansion

Angelica Feurdean, Randy Fulweber, Andrei-Cosmin Diaconu, Graeme T. Swindles, and Mariusz Gałka

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Short summary
We found low fire activity in northern Arctic Alaska from ~1000 BCE to 500 CE, and a marked increase post-1950 CE, when it exceeded any levels observed in the preceding millennia. Deepening of water tables and peatland drying associated with permafrost thaw have facilitated woody encroachment, leading to enhanced fire activity. This study highlights that moisture–vegetation–fire feedbacks significantly influence tundra fire regimes, with implications for ongoing Arctic greening and warming.
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