GEOG 1350 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Engine Knocking, Pyrolysis, Invisible Waves
4 Dec 2017
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Document Summary
Wildfire dates to the time when trees first evolved 400 million years ago. Many fires start naturally as a result of lightning or volcanic eruptions. After a fire, vegetation completes a cycle from early colonizing plants to mature ecosystem. The ecosystem that evolves adapts to the climate at that particular location and time. The geologic record shows an increase in the amount of charcoal in sediment approx. This suggests high amounts of wildfire activity at the time. Increased use of fire by humans for clearing land and for heat, cooking ect. They require three elements: fuel, oxygen and heat. If any of these are lost, the fire will dissipate. Plants accumulate carbon dioxide and store carbon in their tissues. During a wildfire, this carbon dioxide is released back into the atmosphere. There are three phases to a wildfire: pre-ignition, combustion and extinction: pre-ignition phase. Pre-heating: vegetation reaches a temperature at which it can ignite.
