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Here\u2019s why using saltwater is typically a last resort (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science) Science Jan 13, 2025 4:39 PM EST Firefighters battling the deadly (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/los-angeles-wildfire-deaths-rise-to-24-as-crews-prepare-for-return-of-strong-winds) wildfires that raced through the Los Angeles area in January 2025 have been hampered by a (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-misinformation-about-the-los-angeles-wildfires-and-california-water-policy) limited supply of freshwater . So, when the winds are calm enough, skilled pilots flying planes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuLk5hXMRZY) aptly named Super Scoopers are (https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/10/us/super-scooper-drone-collision-la-fire-canada-hnk-intl/index.html) skimming off 1,500 gallons of seawater at a time and dumping it with high precision on the fires. Using seawater to fight fires can sound like a simple solution \u2013 the Pacific Ocean has a seemingly endless supply of water. In emergencies like Southern California is facing, it\u2019s often the only quick solution, though the operation can be (https://www.ocregister.com/2016/09/16/honk-why-not-use-ocean-water-to-douse-fires/) risky amid ocean swells . (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/analysis-5-ways-to-look-at-the-los-angeles-fires-through-the-lens-of-climate-realism) ANALYSIS: 5 ways to look at the Los Angeles fires through the lens of climate realism But seawater also has downsides. Saltwater (https://www.technology.org/how-and-why/can-salt-water-put-out-fire/) corrodes firefighting equipment and may harm ecosystems, especially those like the chaparral shrublands around Los Angeles that aren\u2019t normally exposed to seawater. Gardeners know that small amounts of salt \u2013 added, say, as fertilizer \u2013 does not harm plants, but excessive salts can stress and kill plants. While the consequences of adding seawater to ecosystems are not yet well understood, we can gain insights on what to expect by considering the effects of sea-level rise. A seawater experiment in a coastal forest As an (https://serc.si.edu/staff/patrick-megonigal/megonigalp6122002) ecosystem ecologist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, I lead a (https://sercblog.si.edu/tempest-experiment-mimics-future-storms-inside-forests/) novel experiment called TEMPEST that was designed to understand how and why historically salt-free coastal forests react to their first exposures to salty water. Sea-level rise (https://www.climate.gov/news-features/features/interactive-map-how-has-local-sea-level-united-states-changed-over-time) has increased by an average of (https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_SYR_SPM.pdf) about 8 inches globally over the past century, and that water has pushed salty water into U.S. forests, farms and neighborhoods that had previously known only freshwater. As the rate of sea-level rise accelerates, storms push seawater ever farther onto the dry land, eventually killing trees and creating (https://theconversation.com/sea-level-rise-is-killing-trees-along-the-atlantic-coast-creating-ghost-forests-that-are-visible-from-space-147971) ghost forests , a result of climate change that is widespread in the U.S. and globally. In our (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10807-0) TEMPEST test plots , we pump salty water from the nearby Chesapeake Bay into tanks, then sprinkle it on the forest soil surface fast enough to saturate the soil for about 10 hours at a time. This simulates a surge of salty water during a big storm. Our coastal forest showed little effect from the first 10-hour exposure to salty water in June 2022 and grew normally for the rest of the year. We increased the exposure to 20 hours in June 2023, and the forest still appeared mostly unfazed, although the (https://agu.confex.com/agu/agu24/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/1629855) tulip poplar trees were drawing water from the soil more slowly, which may be an early warning signal. Things changed after a 30-hour exposure in June 2024. The leaves of tulip poplar in the forests started to brown in mid-August, several weeks earlier than normal. By mid-September the forest canopy was bare, as if winter had set in. These changes did not occur in a nearby plot that we treated the same way, but with freshwater rather than seawater. The initial resilience of our forest can be explained in part by the relatively low amount of salt in the water in this estuary, where water from freshwater rivers and a salty ocean mix. Rain that fell after the experiments in 2022 and 2023 washed salts out of the soil. (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/extreme-drought-wildfires-and-deforestation-battered-the-amazon-rainforest-in-2024) READ MORE: Extreme drought, wildfires and deforestation battered the Amazon rainforest in 2024 But a major drought followed the 2024 experiment, so salts lingered in the soil then. The trees\u2019 longer exposure to salty soils after our 2024 experiment may have exceeded their ability to tolerate these conditions. Seawater being dumped on the Southern California fires is full-strength, salty ocean water. And conditions there (https://theconversation.com/southern-california-is-extremely-dry-and-thats-fueling-fires-maps-show-just-how-dry-246983) have been very dry , particularly compared with our East Coast forest plot. Changes evident in the ground Our research group is still trying to understand all the factors that limit the forest\u2019s tolerance to salty water, and how our results apply to other ecosystems such as those in the Los Angeles area. Tree leaves turning from green to brown well before fall was a surprise, but there were other surprises hidden in the soil below our feet. Rainwater percolating through the soil is normally clear, but about a month after the first and only 10-hour exposure to salty water in 2022, the soil water turned brown and stayed that way for two years. The brown color comes from carbon-based compounds leached from dead plant material. It\u2019s a process similar to making tea. Our lab experiments suggest that salt was causing clay and other particles to disperse and move about in the soil. Such changes in soil chemistry and structure can persist for many years. Sea-level rise is increasing coastal exposure While ocean water can help fight fires, there are reasons fire officials prefer freshwater sources \u2013 provided freshwater is available. U.S. coastlines, meanwhile, are facing more extensive and frequent saltwater exposure as rising global temperatures accelerate sea-level rise that drowns forests, fields and farms, with unknown risks for coastal landscapes. (The Conversation) This article is republished from (https://theconversation.com) The Conversation . Read the (https://theconversation.com/firefighting-planes-are-dumping-ocean-water-on-the-los-angeles-fires-why-using-saltwater-is-typically-a-last-resort-247188) original article . Left: A helicopter drops water on the Palisades Fire, one of several simultaneous blazes that have ripped across Los Angeles County, along Mandeville Canyon, in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles, Jan. 11, 2025. Photo by Daniel Dreifuss/Reuters Related (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/california-wildfires-could-leave-deeper-inequality-in-their-wake) California wildfires could leave deeper inequality in their wake By Terry Tang, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Jae Hong, Associated Press (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/wildfires-can-contaminate-drinking-water-with-harmful-chemicals-heres-what-to-know) Wildfires can contaminate drinking water with harmful chemicals. Here\u2019s what to know By Andrew J. Whelton, The Conversation (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/wildfire-smoke-inside-homes-can-cause-lingering-health-risks-here-are-some-tips-for-cleaning-and-staying-safe) Wildfire smoke inside homes can cause lingering health risks. Here are some tips for cleaning and staying safe By Colleen E. Reid, The Conversation (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/how-santa-ana-winds-have-fueled-the-deadly-fires-in-southern-california) How Santa Ana winds have fueled the deadly fires in Southern California By Jon Keeley, The Conversation Go Deeper (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/california) california (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/california-wildfires) california wildfires (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/tag/los-angeles) los angeles By \u2014 (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/author/patrick-megonigal-the-conversation) Patrick Megonigal, The Conversation (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/author/patrick-megonigal-the-conversation) Patrick Megonigal, The Conversation Support Provided By: (https://help.pbs.org/support/solutions/articles/5000677869) Learn more (3rd party ad content) Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here\u2019s the Deal, our politics\n newsletter for analysis you won\u2019t find anywhere else. 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So, when the winds are calm enough, skilled pilots flying planes aptly named Super Scoopers are skimming off 1,500 gallons of seawater at a time and dumping it with high precision on the fires.\nUsing seawater to fight fires can sound like a simple solution \u2013 the Pacific Ocean has a seemingly endless supply of water. In emergencies like Southern California is facing, it\u2019s often the only quick solution, though the operation can be risky amid ocean swells.\nANALYSIS: 5 ways to look at the Los Angeles fires through the lens of climate realism\nBut seawater also has downsides.\nSaltwater corrodes firefighting equipment and may harm ecosystems, especially those like the chaparral shrublands around Los Angeles that aren\u2019t normally exposed to seawater. Gardeners know that small amounts of salt \u2013 added, say, as fertilizer \u2013 does not harm plants, but excessive salts can stress and kill plants.\nWhile the consequences of adding seawater to ecosystems are not yet well understood, we can gain insights on what to expect by considering the effects of sea-level rise.\nA seawater experiment in a coastal forest\nAs an ecosystem ecologist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, I lead a novel experiment called TEMPEST that was designed to understand how and why historically salt-free coastal forests react to their first exposures to salty water.\nSea-level rise has increased by an average of about 8 inches globally over the past century, and that water has pushed salty water into U.S. forests, farms and neighborhoods that had previously known only freshwater. As the rate of sea-level rise accelerates, storms push seawater ever farther onto the dry land, eventually killing trees and creating ghost forests, a result of climate change that is widespread in the U.S. and globally.\nIn our TEMPEST test plots, we pump salty water from the nearby Chesapeake Bay into tanks, then sprinkle it on the forest soil surface fast enough to saturate the soil for about 10 hours at a time. This simulates a surge of salty water during a big storm.\nOur coastal forest showed little effect from the first 10-hour exposure to salty water in June 2022 and grew normally for the rest of the year. We increased the exposure to 20 hours in June 2023, and the forest still appeared mostly unfazed, although the tulip poplar trees were drawing water from the soil more slowly, which may be an early warning signal.\nThings changed after a 30-hour exposure in June 2024. The leaves of tulip poplar in the forests started to brown in mid-August, several weeks earlier than normal. By mid-September the forest canopy was bare, as if winter had set in. These changes did not occur in a nearby plot that we treated the same way, but with freshwater rather than seawater.\nThe initial resilience of our forest can be explained in part by the relatively low amount of salt in the water in this estuary, where water from freshwater rivers and a salty ocean mix. Rain that fell after the experiments in 2022 and 2023 washed salts out of the soil.\nREAD MORE: Extreme drought, wildfires and deforestation battered the Amazon rainforest in 2024\nBut a major drought followed the 2024 experiment, so salts lingered in the soil then. The trees\u2019 longer exposure to salty soils after our 2024 experiment may have exceeded their ability to tolerate these conditions.\nSeawater being dumped on the Southern California fires is full-strength, salty ocean water. And conditions there have been very dry, particularly compared with our East Coast forest plot.\nChanges evident in the ground\nOur research group is still trying to understand all the factors that limit the forest\u2019s tolerance to salty water, and how our results apply to other ecosystems such as those in the Los Angeles area.\nTree leaves turning from green to brown well before fall was a surprise, but there were other surprises hidden in the soil below our feet.\nRainwater percolating through the soil is normally clear, but about a month after the first and only 10-hour exposure to salty water in 2022, the soil water turned brown and stayed that way for two years. The brown color comes from carbon-based compounds leached from dead plant material. It\u2019s a process similar to making tea.\nOur lab experiments suggest that salt was causing clay and other particles to disperse and move about in the soil. Such changes in soil chemistry and structure can persist for many years.\nSea-level rise is increasing coastal exposure\nWhile ocean water can help fight fires, there are reasons fire officials prefer freshwater sources \u2013 provided freshwater is available.\nU.S. coastlines, meanwhile, are facing more extensive and frequent saltwater exposure as rising global temperatures accelerate sea-level rise that drowns forests, fields and farms, with unknown risks for coastal landscapes.\nThis article is republished from The Conversation. 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