As a last option, firefighters in the Los Angeles region are collecting gallons of saltwater and pouring it on flames due to the scarcity of freshwater.
 
But there are disadvantages to saltwater.
 
Hyderabad: Due to a shortage of freshwater, firefighters fighting the devastating wildfire in the Los Angeles region are now collecting liters of saltwater and sprinkling it on the flames. Given the Pacific Ocean's limitless supply of water, using saltwater to combat wildfires seems like an easy and quick fix for crises like the one Southern california is currently experiencing.
 
But there are disadvantages to saltwater as well. Saltwater may damage ecosystems, particularly the shrub areas surrounding Los Angeles, and rust firefighting equipment. Plants can be stressed and killed by too much salt.

As a result of climate change, which is pervasive throughout the world, sea levels have risen by an average of 8 inches over the previous century, and storms force seawater farther and farther onto land, including farms and forests, eventually killing trees and producing ghost forests.
 
A certain section of a coastal forest was exposed to salt water by the researcher during an experiment. The coastal forest was found to have minimal effect at first, but as exposure time increased, the trees began to extract water from the soil more slowly, which may be a hint of impending danger. The coastal trees' leaves later turned brown and began to fall a few weeks earlier than usual.
 
The study team is currently working to identify all the variables that affect the forest's ability to withstand salinity. Although it was unexpected that tree leaves would transition from green to brown so early in the fall, there were more surprises in the soil beneath.
 
Normally, rainwater that seeps through the soil is clear, but for two years, the soil water becomes dark. Carbon-based substances that have leached from decaying plant matter are what gives the area its brown hue. The procedure is comparable to that of brewing tea.
 
According to the lab tests, clay and other particles were moving about in the soil as a result of the salt. These alterations in the structure and chemistry of soil can last for many years.
 
Fire personnel favors freshwater supplies for several reasons, even if ocean water may aid in fighting fires—that is, if freshwater is available. Meanwhile, as sea levels rise due to rising global temperatures, US coasts are more exposed to seawater, drowning farms, fields, and woods. The consequences to coastal landscapes remain unclear.
 
 
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SIBY JEYYA

19/01/2025 10:51 AM