One-third of Australia’s Kangaroo Island is now charred.

That means some 600 square miles of the western side of the island — which teems (or once did) with forests, woodlands, and koalas — have been consumed by bushfires. Most of the fire has burned since the New Year, as seen in satellite images. 

Like on the Australian mainland eight miles to the north, profound drought amplified by extreme, record-breaking heat primed the bushlands to burn. 2019 was Australia’s hottest and driest year on record, creating conditions for flames that Australian fire experts have called “unprecedented.”

For decades, Australian researchers have warned that hotter climes will increase the odds of larger and more frequent flames.  Read more…

More about Australia, Science, Climate Change, Bushfires, and Science
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