Data

Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires

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What you should know about this indicator

  • PM2.5 can penetrate deep into the respiratory tract, affecting the lungs and potentially entering the bloodstream.
  • Exposure to PM2.5 is linked to respiratory and cardiovascular issues, and premature death in people with heart or lung disease.
Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires
PM2.5 emissions represent the quantity of fine particulate matter (diameter less than 2.5 micrometers) released by , in tonnes. The 2024 data is incomplete and was last updated 18 December 2024.
Source
Global Wildfire Information System (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Last updated
December 18, 2024
Next expected update
December 2024
Date range
2003–2024
Unit
tonnes

Sources and processing

This data is based on the following sources

The dataset provides a weekly comprehensive overview of fire activity and its environmental impact, incorporating data from the Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS) and satellite imagery from MODIS and VIIRS. It includes metrics such as the area of land burnt, cumulative burnt areas, carbon dioxide emissions from fires, cumulative carbon emissions, the number of fires, and cumulative fire counts.

Retrieved on
December 18, 2024
Citation
This is the citation of the original data obtained from the source, prior to any processing or adaptation by Our World in Data. To cite data downloaded from this page, please use the suggested citation given in Reuse This Work below.
Global Wildfire Information System

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Citations

How to cite this page

To cite this page overall, including any descriptions, FAQs or explanations of the data authored by Our World in Data, please use the following citation:

“Data Page: Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires”, part of the following publication: Hannah Ritchie, Pablo Rosado and Veronika Samborska (2024) - “Climate Change”. Data adapted from Global Wildfire Information System. Retrieved from https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/annual-pm25-emissions-from-wildfires [online resource]
How to cite this data

In-line citationIf you have limited space (e.g. in data visualizations), you can use this abbreviated in-line citation:

Global Wildfire Information System (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data

Full citation

Global Wildfire Information System (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. “Annual PM2.5 emissions from wildfires” [dataset]. Global Wildfire Information System, “Seasonal wildfire trends” [original data]. Retrieved December 21, 2024 from https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/annual-pm25-emissions-from-wildfires