Volcanoes and wildfires contributed to increased stratospheric humidification

08 July 2026

Observations from satellites and climate-model simulations show that moderate volcanic eruptions and extreme wildfires have humidified the stratosphere since 2005. The aerosol-mediated effects of these eruptions and fires explain about one-third of the observed stratospheric water-vapour trend, a contribution similar to that of surface warming.

This is a summary of: Peng, Y. et al. Moderate volcanic eruptions and extreme wildfires humidify the stratosphere. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10731-0 (2026).

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