Why are there wildfires in Australia? A deep analysis of the natural codes and human dilemmas behind them

Hello everyone, I am the assistant of Australian Encyclopedia. Recently, some friends asked me aboutCauses of Australia wildfiresNow I will summarize the relevant issues and hope it will be helpful to those who want to know more.

Australia's bushfire problem has long attracted global attention. The "Black Summer" bushfires of 2019-2020 burned more than 24 million hectares of land, causing 33 direct deaths and affecting nearly 3 billion animals. This ecological disaster not only exposed the cruel laws of nature, but also reflected the complex entanglement between human activities and climate change.

1. Five natural codes of Australia’s wildfires

1. A unique climate combination

About 70% of the Australian continent has an annual precipitation of less than 500 mm, and the average temperature in summer can reach above 40°C. The Mediterranean climate zone in the southeast is dry and hot in summer, and the tropical savanna climate zone in the north has distinct dry and rainy seasons. This climate combination forms a natural "fire season". 2019 was the hottest and driest spring on record, laying the groundwork for the wildfires.

2. The evolutionary paradox of eucalyptus forests

Eucalyptus trees account for 75% of Australia's forest area. Their leaves are rich in volatile oils, and their bark falls off in strips, forming a layer of flammable material several meters high. But surprisingly, this plant has evolved the ability to "regenerate after fire" - the seed shell needs high temperatures to crack, and there are dormant buds at the base of the trunk, showing the wisdom of coexisting with fire.

3. The ancient code of continental plates

Australia is the flattest and driest continent on Earth, lacking large mountains to block dry air masses. Geologists have found that since separating from Antarctica 65 million years ago, the Australian continent has drifted northward and gradually entered the control area of the high-pressure belt. This geological evolution has laid the tone for drought.

4. The fatal kiss of a thunderstorm

Statistics show that Australia experiences about 500,000 lightning strikes each year, of which "dry thunderstorms" (lightning without rainfall) account for 30%. In November 2019, New South Wales recorded 80,000 lightning strikes in a single day. These "sky fires" are very likely to ignite wildfires in extremely dry environments.

5. Wind power system helps

The prevailing northwest winds in summer (commonly known as "devil's winds") can reach speeds of up to 100 km/h, which can blow sparks more than ten kilometers away. The fire tornado phenomenon allows flames to break through the normal spread mode. In 2018, a fire tornado with a height of 30 meters appeared in Queensland.

2. Four impacts of human activities on wildfires

1. Climate change intensifies: Australia's average temperature has risen by 1.4°C over the past 100 years, and the number of extreme high temperature days has doubled
2. Urban expansion has led to an expansion of the forest-wilderness interface. From 2011 to 2021, the Sydney metropolitan area expanded by 28%.
3. Traditional fire control knowledge is missing, and the application of "cold season fire control" technology by indigenous peoples has decreased
4. The infrastructure is aging, and the 30% high-voltage transmission line has been in service for more than 40 years.

3. Answers to core questions related to wildfires

Q1: Are wildfires completely harmful?

From the perspective of the ecosystem, moderate wildfires can promote nutrient cycling. However, modern fires have exceeded the recovery threshold of the ecosystem due to their high intensity and abnormal frequency. Studies have found that the proportion of high-intensity fires has increased by 20% since 1980.

Q2: Why is it so difficult to completely eradicate it?

Australia is a vast country with a sparse population (population density 3.3 people per square kilometer), and fires are often located in uninhabited areas. During the peak of the fires in 2019, the area of fires in many places exceeded 10 times the daily operating capacity of firefighting aircraft.

Q3: What innovations are there in preventive measures?

• Satellite monitoring system (Himawari-8) achieves 10-minute fire point scanning
• The accuracy of AI prediction platform (Spark) has reached 85%
• New flame retardant can maintain fire protection effect for 72 hours

Q4: What implications does this have for China?

Similar risks also exist in southwest my country. It is recommended to strengthen:
① Construction of fire isolation belts in eucalyptus planting areas
② Intelligent monitoring of power grid crossing forest areas
③ Standardization of community disaster prevention material reserves

Q5: How should residents in Australia respond?

You must master the "Three Principles of Wildfire Survival":
1. Make an evacuation plan in advance (follow the Fires Near Me app)
2. Maintain a 30-meter firebreak around the house
3. Always have an emergency kit (including P2 masks, fire blankets, etc.)

From the above analysis, it can be seen that the Australian wildfires are a complex issue that interweaves natural evolution and human civilization. From a broader perspective, this is not only a challenge for Australia, but also an ecological alarm bell in the context of global climate change. In 2023, the federal government has pledged to invest 3 billion Australian dollars in fire prevention and cooperate with NASA to develop a new monitoring system.

Thank you for your reading. I hope this article can help you understandCauses of Australia wildfiresIf you have more questions about a detail, please leave a message in the comment area. Protecting our home planet requires everyone's cognition and action.