Wildfires
Ideal conditions:
- Dry trees
- Dry soil
- Dense vegetation
- Dry vegetation
- Wind
A wildfire is the generic name used for an uncontrolled rural fire
A crown fire spreads across tree canopies and affects forested areas
A surface fire burns across surface vegetation
A ground fire burns beneath the ground in layers of dry organic peat
The ladder effect describes the process of fires from the forest floor spreading to the tree
canopy
Distribution of wildfires:
Warming at a faster rate
Boreal forests – thick organic soil layers - soil layers fire – carbon emissions – following wind
patterns
Wildfires are found in every continent, with Africa being the most prominent
Temporal distribution = specific location
Spatial distribution = arrangement across the earths surface
NASA researches the distribution of wildfires
Some of the global patterns that appear in the fire maps over time are the result of natural
cycles of rainfall, dryness, and lightning.
In other parts of the world, the patterns are the result of human activity. E.g., the intense
burning in south America from august – October is a result of human triggered fires, both
intentional and accidental.
Across Africa, a band of widespread agricultural burning
sweeps north to south over the continent as the dry
season progresses each year.
Conditions needed:
- Smoke
- Flames
- Heat
- Oxygen
Ideal conditions:
- Dry trees
- Dry soil
- Dense vegetation
- Dry vegetation
- Wind
A wildfire is the generic name used for an uncontrolled rural fire
A crown fire spreads across tree canopies and affects forested areas
A surface fire burns across surface vegetation
A ground fire burns beneath the ground in layers of dry organic peat
The ladder effect describes the process of fires from the forest floor spreading to the tree
canopy
Distribution of wildfires:
Warming at a faster rate
Boreal forests – thick organic soil layers - soil layers fire – carbon emissions – following wind
patterns
Wildfires are found in every continent, with Africa being the most prominent
Temporal distribution = specific location
Spatial distribution = arrangement across the earths surface
NASA researches the distribution of wildfires
Some of the global patterns that appear in the fire maps over time are the result of natural
cycles of rainfall, dryness, and lightning.
In other parts of the world, the patterns are the result of human activity. E.g., the intense
burning in south America from august – October is a result of human triggered fires, both
intentional and accidental.
Across Africa, a band of widespread agricultural burning
sweeps north to south over the continent as the dry
season progresses each year.
Conditions needed:
- Smoke
- Flames
- Heat
- Oxygen
