(you can get the rest by opening the article and right clicking the page to get English)
https://yle.fi/a/74-20136077
The impact of Arctic ice
Climate scientists have noted how changes on the other side of the world also affect conditions in California.
As Arctic sea ice melts due to warming, the ocean warms and evaporates more moisture into the atmosphere above the North Pole. This affects the jet stream that circles the northern hemisphere, strengthening the high-pressure area over the western United States.
This in turn means stronger drought and easterly winds for California.
This picture explains what it's all about:
The melting of Arctic sea ice is one of the so-called tipping points of climate change that are predicted to have an impact on the entire Earth's climate. Climate scientists are currently monitoring whether such a tipping point is now underway in the North Atlantic, says Hilppa Gregow , research professor at the Finnish Meteorological Institute .
In the United States, one of the changes is a significant increase in the risk of fire in boreal forests. This also applies to the area where the fire is now, Gregow continues.
The mountains in Southern California are a major factor in the worsening of wildfires. The mountains generate a phenomenon known as the Santa Ana winds, in which winds blowing down from the western slopes of the mountains intensify violently. The extremely strong, warm and dry air flow effectively spreads wildfires that have already started.
Gregow is coordinating an international project that is looking at ways to prevent wildfires from spreading to urban areas. In addition to buffer zones, these could include, for example, the use of less fire-sensitive plants on the edges of residential areas, as well as wetlands.
He reminds us that the majority of wildfires are started by humans, not by lightning strikes, for example. Sufficient firefighting equipment and skilled firefighting personnel should be available.
