Skip to main content
This media resource contains content that shows images of natural disaster.

Catalyst: Climate and bushfires in Australia

Posted , updated 
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
Fire rages in forest at night
Catalyst: Climate and bushfires in Australia

SUBJECTS:  Science

YEARS:  9–10


What can science tell us about the major cause of bushfires in Australia's past?

How can it help us predict future bushfires?

Two scientists discuss evidence related to bushfire regimes (bushfire patterns, types and intensity).

Please note that this clip contains recent images of homes destroyed by bushfires that may disturb some people.


Things to think about

  1. 1.What do you think has the greatest impact on the frequency of bushfires in Australia?
  2. 2.What can drilling holes in a swamp tell you about the ancient fire record? Identify why bushfires got more frequent over the last 15,000 years. Spot what Dr Scott Mooney thinks is the main 'driver' of bushfire in our landscape. Watch out for a double whammy mentioned after Dr Chris Lucas's speaks about the Indian Ocean Dipole phases. What is it?
  3. 3.How does an understanding of the Indian Ocean Dipole phases help up to predict future bushfire patterns? How does evidence in the clip support the claim that climate change has increased the frequency of bushfires in Australia's long history?
  4. 4.Fire-stick farming and prescribed burning are known as methods of managing fire in the landscape. Research some of the debates about prescribed burning as a fire management practice. You may like to search on the terms 'fire ecology' and 'fire regimes in Australia'.



Date of broadcast: 29 Oct 2009


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Posted , updated