And that’s a conservative estimate, said study author Rong Fu, a climate researcher at UCLA. They used a machine learning approach to compare recent vapor pressure deficit values with those observed in the past during similar weather patterns. “Prior to 2000, we can explain this fire weather pretty well just using the weather patterns,” Fu said. The researchers’ estimate on the effects of climate change is conservative because they did not take into account its role in shifting the weather patterns themselves, Fu said. They also found that the effects of climate change have been coming on more rapidly than some predicted.

Source: Los Angeles Times November 02, 2021 05:35 UTC