Purdue professor explains why the world is getting hotter and what that means for wildfires, rain and air quality

Dr. Daniel Cziczo

Is it hotter than it used to be? The short answer is yes. Why? A video explanation from Daniel Cziczo, a professor and head of the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at Purdue University, has been loaded for viewing by members of The Associated Press, AP reports. "He goes over why higher temperatures have become more common and what that means for wildfires, rain and air quality." The video can be found here.

"Cziczo says that as man-made greenhouse gases are released into the environment, heat becomes trapped and raises temperatures. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane act like a blanket over Earth, keeping the sun’s heat from escaping the atmosphere," Purdue reports. "Thanks to this rise in temperature, forest-fire season starts earlier, ends later, and happens in areas where wildfires didn’t used to occur. Hot and dry weather can also lead to a decrease in precipitation and a drop in air quality."

If you'd like more in-depth look at Cziczo's research, he presents his area of expertise, particle and cloud research, as key to a human response to climate change in his July 2022 MEERTalk. He points out that humans are are heating up the atmosphere mostly through mixed greenhouse gases, but we are also cooling the planet with particle matter. Clouds form around tiny airborne particles called aerosols. Understanding how cloud formation influences our atmosphere is key to understanding and mitigating climate change from the stratosphere.