In late May 2025, fires broke out across the Canadian Prairies. Following a warm, dry spring, high winds fueled wildfires that have grown to seven times the ten-year average. More than 200 fires have broken out, most of them started by humans. In addition to burning large swaths of land, smoke and particulates from the fires have spread across Canada, as well as the Midwest and Eastern United States. Officials in Michigan issued air quality alerts and hazardous visibility conditions for the Mackinac Bridge.
The animation above shows atmospheric black carbon, using data from the GEOS-5 model developed by NASA’s Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO). The GEOS-5 model combines observations from satellites, ground-based sensors, and other instruments to model the movement and composition of Earth’s atmosphere. Black carbon is a key ingredient of soot and is produced by the burning of organic material. Scientists watch black carbon emissions closely, as the compound is related to both global warming and harmful heart and respiratory conditions.
