Australia - Wildfires Case Study Flashcards
(46 cards)
When was the Australian wildfires, known as ‘Black Saturday’?
7th February 2009.
How many properties were destroyed in the Black Saturday wildfires of 2009?
20,000.
How many people died in the Black Saturday wildfires of 2009?
173.
What size radius did the Black Saturday wildfires burn around Melbourne?
80km.
Where did the Black Saturday wildfires happen?
South-East Australia, in the state of Victoria.
How did the aboriginals originally use fire?
For warmth.
For hunting.
For ceremonies.
For cooking.
For clearing vegetation, encouraging it to regenerate.
How long have the aboriginals been in Australia?
Over 60,000 years.
How did the European’s disrupt the aboriginal’s traditional burning practices?
By clearing large portions of the land for crops, and animal grazing.
How long did the Black Saturday wildfires burn for?
A month.
Why did the Black Saturday wildfires burn for a month?
Due to a 10 year drought which caused a build up of highly inflammable litter from vegetation.
What are the two conrasting opinions on how bushfires should be controlled in Australia?
To protect peoples lives and property - to which the environment will naturally change.
OR
To maintain the environment - to which people will have to change the way they live.
What is the Indian Ocean Dipole?
An alternating pattern of ocean temperatures found to the west and north of Australasia.
What happens in the negative phase of the Indian Ocean dipole?
The seas to the west of the Australasia continent are cool, while warm waters dominate the Timor Sea to the North.
This produces winds that pick up moisture from the ocean and sweep it down towards Southern Australia to deliver cool, wet conditions.
What happens in the positive phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole?
Seas to the west of the continent are warm, whilst cooler waters dominate the Timor Sea to the North.
This produces weaker winds which cannot pick up as much moisture, and so South-Eastern Australia experiences drier conditions.
How did the Indian Ocean Dipole contribute to the Black Saturday bushfires?
It was stuck in the positive phase.
How does the topography of Australia benefit the spread of wildfires?
The mountain landscape of steep slopes, ridges and valleys channels the hot air, causing temperature to rise and humidity to fall.
How does abundant undergrowth encourage the spread of wildfires?
Provides the fire with enough fuel to consume whole trees.
What are 3 reasons why controlled ignition of undergrowth is unpopular?
Residents dont like their homes being smoked out when it is done.
Residents resent having views from their house ruined.
The burning could become out of control and result in the damage it was intended to prevent.
What does the Australian Bureau of Meteorology suggest the mumber of days with high and extreme fire ratings will increase by, by 2050?
15-70%.
What was the main culprit of the Black Saturday wildfires in 2009?
Human error - as multiple powerlines fell and banged together which ignited a fire in Kilmore North.
How did the fallen powerlines turn into a raging fire across Victoria in 2009?
Dry 60mph winds were blowing across the state at the time.
What are other, more minor culprits of the Black Saturday wildfires in 2009?
Arson, accidentally dropped cigarette burns, sparks from power tools from workers in the forests.
How many consecutive days did Melbourne experience temperatures of 43°c in the heatwaves in 2009?
Three consecutive days.
What was the hottest temperature recorded in Melbourne in the heatwave of 2009?
45.1°c.
