Widespread peat carbon losses driven by the 2025 Scottish megafire

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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
Faculty of Science > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
University of East Anglia Research Groups/Centres > Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
University of East Anglia Research Groups/Centres > Theme - ClimateUEA
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Climatic Research Unit
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Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 21 May 2026 10:48
Last Modified: 08 Jun 2026 08:28
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/103126
DOI: 10.1038/s41561-026-01994-3

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