Topic: Changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
Q2. Explain why droughts and wildfires are increasingly occurring in climatically diverse regions. Also examine the land-atmosphere interactions involved. (10 M)
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: DTE
Why the question
Increasing global concurrence of droughts and wildfires across diverse climatic regions, indicating a shift in Earth’s climate functioning and challenging traditional geographical understanding of climate zones and hazards.Key Demand of the question
The question demands an explanation of why droughts and wildfires are no longer confined to arid regions, and an analysis of the land–atmosphere interactions that link surface processes with atmospheric responses in intensifying these extremes.Structure of the Answer
Introduction
Briefly indicate the breakdown of traditional climatic boundaries and the emergence of drought–wildfire coupling as a defining feature of contemporary climate geography.Body
- Explain the drivers behind the spread of droughts and wildfires across climatically diverse regions.
- Analyse how land–atmosphere feedback mechanisms reinforce drought conditions and wildfire intensity.
Conclusion
Conclude by highlighting the emergence of a new climate regime dominated by surface–atmosphere feedbacks, underscoring the geographical significance of these interactions for future climate extremes.
