Uploaded July 2021 | Updated September 2026, 8 hours ago
Meeting 2021-2 of the Hunter Branch of the Royal Society of NSW -- 30 June 2021
“Extreme bushfires and the age of violent pyroconvection”
Professor Jason Sharples
School of Science, UNSW Canberra
https://royalsoc.org.au/blog/hunter-branch-meeting-2021-2
Timing Marks
00:00:00 Welcome: Professor John Aitken, FRSN FAA FAHMS, Chair, Hunter Branch, Royal Society of NSW
00:01:48 Introduction to the Speaker: Professor George Willis FRSN FAA, University of Newcastle
00:05:02 Presentation: Professor Jason Sharples, UNSW Canberra
00:52:22 Question and Answer Session: moderated by Associate Professor Temitope Egbelakin, University of Newcastle
01:02:11 Vote of Thanks: Professor John Aitken, University of Newcastle
Summary:
Over the last few decades, Australia and other fire prone parts of the world have seen an apparent increase in the occurrence of large destructive bushfires, such as those experienced during the 2019/20 Black Summer. These fires defy suppression, consistently result in the loss of life and property, and further impact the cultural, economic, social and political stability of communities. They also produce significant environmental damage with ongoing implications for the ecology and biodiversity of many species. The types of behaviours exhibited by these fires are often at odds with traditional approaches to understanding bushfire, which have primarily relied on information gathered during smaller experimental fires in particular types of vegetation. In contrast, these fires tend to manifest as violent pyroconvective events, which often share more in common with an atmospheric storm than a surface fire. In this talk I will present an overview of recent insights into the occurrence and behaviour of these extreme bushfires and discuss some of the challenges they pose for bushfire risk management.
Meeting 2021-2 of the Hunter Branch of the Royal Society of NSW -- 30 June 2021
“Extreme bushfires and the age of violent pyroconvection”
Professor Jason Sharples
School of Science, UNSW Canberra
https://royalsoc.org.au/blog/hunter-branch-meeting-2021-2
Timing Marks
00:00:00 Welcome: Professor John Aitken, FRSN FAA FAHMS, Chair, Hunter Branch, Royal Society of NSW
00:01:48 Introduction to the Speaker: Professor George Willis FRSN FAA, University of Newcastle
00:05:02 Presentation: Professor Jason Sharples, UNSW Canberra
00:52:22 Question and Answer Session: moderated by Associate Professor Temitope Egbelakin, University of Newcastle
01:02:11 Vote of Thanks: Professor John Aitken, University of Newcastle
Summary:
Over the last few decades, Australia and other fire prone parts of the world have seen an apparent increase in the occurrence of large destructive bushfires, such as those experienced during the 2019/20 Black Summer. These fires defy suppression, consistently result in the loss of life and property, and further impact the cultural, economic, social and political stability of communities. They also produce significant environmental damage with ongoing implications for the ecology and biodiversity of many species. The types of behaviours exhibited by these fires are often at odds with traditional approaches to understanding bushfire, which have primarily relied on information gathered during smaller experimental fires in particular types of vegetation. In contrast, these fires tend to manifest as violent pyroconvective events, which often share more in common with an atmospheric storm than a surface fire. In this talk I will present an overview of recent insights into the occurrence and behaviour of these extreme bushfires and discuss some of the challenges they pose for bushfire risk management.
