[A-AS10] General Meteorology

[AAS10-05] Himalayan Infernos: Linking Climate Variability and Climatological Variables to the spread of Wildfires across the Indian Himalayan Region

*Anandu Prabhakaran¹, PIYUSH SRIVASTAVA¹ (1.Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India)

Keywords:climate variability, himalayan forest, meteorology, wildfire

An exponential increase in forest fire events over the Indian Himalayan region have been observed in the past few decades leading to lose life and properties. A better understanding of key physical atmospheric processes conducive to the spread of fires is required to mitigate and manage the impact of wildfires. This study aims to address the impact of atmospheric conditions associated with the spread of wildfires in the Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. A combination of observational and reanalysis datasets including forest fire burned area data from Uttarakhand State forest department for fire burned areas, India Meteorological Department in-situ precipitation data across two districts of Uttarakhand viz (a) Dehradun (b) Uttarkashi, ERA5 reanalysis data for relative humidity and temperature and Global Land Data Assimilation System dataset for soil moisture were used to study the interrelationship between the climatic variability and climatological variables accelerating the spread of forest fires across Uttarakhand. The analysis suggests that the strength of Indian Ocean Dipole, El Nino Southern Oscillation with precipitation patterns contributed by the Western Disturbances during the pre-fire season remains the critical factor determining the spread of fires, post-ignition. The bimodal distribution curve for the Vapor Pressure Deficit possessing peaks during the fire season and post-monsoon season depict increased dryness in the fuels and the atmosphere enhancing the susceptibility of vegetation to wildfires. The findings may be used to mitigate and manage the impact of forest fires in the vulnerable Himalayan state.