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Pré-Publication, Document De Travail Année : 2020

Extreme Wildfire occurrence in response to Global Change type Droughts in the Northern Mediterranean

Résumé

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Increasing drought conditions under global warming are expected to alter the frequency and distribution of large, high intensity wildfires. Yet, little is known regarding how it will affect fire weather and translate into wildfire behaviour. Here, we analysed the climatology of extreme wildfires that occurred during the exceptionally dry summers of 2003 and 2016 in Mediterranean France. We identified two distinct shifts in fire climatology towards fire weather spaces that had not been explored before, and which result from specific interactions between the types of drought and the types of fire. In 2016, a long-lasting <q>press drought</q> intensified wind-driven fires. In 2003, a <q>hot drought</q> combining a heatwave with a press drought intensified heat-driven fires. Our findings highlight that increasing drought conditions projected by climate change scenarios might affect the dryness of fuel compartments and create several new generations of wildfire overwhelming fire suppression capacities.</p>
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Dates et versions

hal-02895053 , version 1 (09-07-2020)

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Julien Ruffault, Thomas Curt, Nicolas Martin-StPaul, Vincent Moron, Ricardo Trigo. Extreme Wildfire occurrence in response to Global Change type Droughts in the Northern Mediterranean. 2020. ⟨hal-02895053⟩
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