Widespread peat carbon losses driven by the 2025 Scottish megafire

Schoenecker, Johanna, Baur, Martin J., Kohli, Juliana, Baker, Sarah, Jones, Matthew, Veraverbeke, Sander, Konings, Alexandra G. and Pellegrini, Adam F. A. (2026) Widespread peat carbon losses driven by the 2025 Scottish megafire. Nature Geoscience. ISSN 1752-0894

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Abstract

Drier and warmer climates have allowed fires to increasingly burn carbon-dense peatland ecosystems. Here we document a 2025 Scottish megafire in the UK, which spread rapidly and burned severely across peatlands in Scotland with anomalously low soil moisture, emitting 38,600 MgC (25,200–119,000 MgC). Peat combustion contributed nearly 85% of total emissions, suggesting drier climates increase fire emissions from peat, which can require decades to centuries to recover.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia Research Groups/Centres > Theme - ClimateUEA
UEA Research Groups:	University of East Anglia Schools > Faculty of Science > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Climatic Research Unit
Related URLs:	https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-0...
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	21 May 2026 10:48
Last Modified:	21 May 2026 10:48
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/103126
DOI:	10.1038/s41561-026-01994-3

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