Fire regimes of the desert regions of Australia at a continental scale

Abstract

Data from the advanced very high-resolution radiometer (AVHRR) of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) were used to assess the distribution, seasonality frequency, number and extent of fire hotspots (FHS) and fire affected areas (FAA) across the entire arid and semi-arid country of Australia for the first time. Over the period studied (1998 to 2004), almost 27% of arid and semi-arid Australia burnt at least once. The main trends in fire distribution follow latitudinal rainfall gradients. The seasonality of fire events varied between climate zones in accordance with the varying distribution of precipitation and temperature, which influence fuel accumulation and curing. Over the study period there were several high-fire years in certain areas following above-average rainfall.