Wildfire in the geological record: Application of Quaternary methods to deep time studies
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Standard
Wildfire in the geological record : Application of Quaternary methods to deep time studies. / Galloway, Jennifer M.; Lindström, Sofie.
In: Evolving Earth, Vol. 1, 100025, 2023.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Author
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Wildfire in the geological record
T2 - Application of Quaternary methods to deep time studies
AU - Galloway, Jennifer M.
AU - Lindström, Sofie
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - For hundreds of millions of years wildfire has influenced, and been influenced by, plant evolution, biogeochemical cycling, and climate. Wildfire has even been implicated as one of the causative agents of mass extinctions. The deep time geologic record offers demonstrated, but underdeveloped, potential to advance knowledge on the role of wildfire in the Earth system. Herein, we present and discuss the geologic history of wildfire and methods for its reconstruction. We argue that application of the numeric approaches to wildfire reconstruction often used in Quaternary studies would advance understanding of deep time paleowildfire. Application of numeric methods increases statistical rigour, with the intent of reducing bias and increasing accuracy. For example, numeric methods offer a means to robustly calibrate the provenance and taphonomy of particles used to reconstruct wildfire, and to quantify uncertainties. Statistical methods, or at least statistical reasoning, should be used to assess the fidelity of new chemical proxies of wildfire, such as the types, amounts, distributions, and isotope signatures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, to represent source area and fuel type.
AB - For hundreds of millions of years wildfire has influenced, and been influenced by, plant evolution, biogeochemical cycling, and climate. Wildfire has even been implicated as one of the causative agents of mass extinctions. The deep time geologic record offers demonstrated, but underdeveloped, potential to advance knowledge on the role of wildfire in the Earth system. Herein, we present and discuss the geologic history of wildfire and methods for its reconstruction. We argue that application of the numeric approaches to wildfire reconstruction often used in Quaternary studies would advance understanding of deep time paleowildfire. Application of numeric methods increases statistical rigour, with the intent of reducing bias and increasing accuracy. For example, numeric methods offer a means to robustly calibrate the provenance and taphonomy of particles used to reconstruct wildfire, and to quantify uncertainties. Statistical methods, or at least statistical reasoning, should be used to assess the fidelity of new chemical proxies of wildfire, such as the types, amounts, distributions, and isotope signatures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, to represent source area and fuel type.
KW - Faculty of Science
KW - wildfire
KW - charcoal
KW - fossil record
KW - fusinite
KW - palaeoecology
KW - palaeoclimate
KW - PAHs
KW - land plants
U2 - 10.1016/j.eve.2023.100025
DO - 10.1016/j.eve.2023.100025
M3 - Journal article
VL - 1
JO - Evolving Earth
JF - Evolving Earth
SN - 2950-1172
M1 - 100025
ER -
ID: 373551537