A burning question. Can recent growth rate anomalies in the greenhouse gases be attributed to large-scale biomass burning events?

Simultaneous in situ measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) and the principal gases linked to biomass burning at the Mace Head Observatory, Ireland, reveal a strong correlation in 1998–99 and 2002–03, both periods with intense global fires. CO2, carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), hydrogen (H2), ozone (O3) and methyl chloride (CH3Cl), all have similar rates of accumulation during these time frames. These perturbations imply a causal relationship between large-scale biomass burning events and the interannual variability of these gases.