Each February, people around the world visit Yosemite National Park to witness "firefall," a natural phenomenon in which the park's Horsetail Falls appears to burn in the light of the setting sun. This year, however, the waterfall was barely visible. In an episode of PBS NewsHour, associate adjunct professor Patrick Gonzalez, a climate scientist in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, explains why this occurs and describes other recent changes in Yosemite National Park.
Gonzalez, the Principal Climate Change Scientist for the U.S. National Park Service, is also an affiliate of the UC Berkeley Institute for Parks, People, and Biodiversity. His climate change and forest ecology research outlines the impacts of anthropogenic climate change on ecosystems and communities. Through collaborative work with local people, national parks, and policymakers, Gonzalez aims to more deeply integrate climate change science into natural resource management.