Coğrafi Bilimler Dergisi (Aug 2012)
Çanakkale’nin 2008 yılı büyük orman yangınlarının meteorolojik ve hidroklimatolojik analizi
Abstract
Çanakkale that is located in the subtropical Mediterranean climate is characterized with semi-humid climate conditions in general, and summer dryness. Drought conditions and drying prevailing northerly sector winds (e.g. Poyraz) in summer are favorable for occurrence and dispersing of the forest fires during the summer months. The major results of the study are as follows: (1) In the year of 2008, a total of 30 forest fires, three of which affected more than 100 hectares (ha) forest area, caused to have damaged about 2070 ha forest area. (2) Climate of the Çanakkale district is of the semiarid according to Erinç’s annual drought index, while it is characterized with the arid climate conditions according to the monthly results of 7 months between April and October. (3) Çanakkale district, on the other hand, is dominated by the semi-humid conditions annually and by the 5-month drought conditions during the warm months from May to September according to the UNCCD aridity index. (4) Keetch-Byram drought index (KBDI) reached the highest value on the day of 10.08.2008 with an index value of 530. (5) KBDI applied to the 2008 data of the Çanakkale meteorological station did not reach the definite fire level within that year. (6) In 2008, the KBDI caught the 76% of the 30 forest fires occurred in the responsibility area of the Çanakkale Regional Forest Service with a high and very high probability level of fire. (7) The area burned in the İntepe - Çınarlı forest fire of Çanakkale was one of the largest four forest fires occurred in Turkey during the year of 2008
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