Flash droughts pull ‘alarming’ amounts of moisture from the landscape and intensify wildfires: new research

Climate researchers say a new phenomenon called flash drought — a rapid dry-out driven by intense heat and low humidity, unlike standard droughts that unfold over months — is making wildfires dramatically worse when it overlaps with prolonged drought conditions. The Conversation reports the study analyzed two decades of global satellite data and found fires under these combined drought conditions were sixty-five percent larger, spread thirty-five percent faster, and burned nineteen percent longer than fires in normal conditions. Hotspots for this compounding effect include the savannas of South America and Africa, northern Australia, and the western United States. The researchers argue current monitoring systems track drought as a static snapshot rather than an evolving process, leaving a gap in spotting these hyper-flammable landscapes before the first spark.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton