Evidence of widespread wildfires in a coal seam from the middle Permian of the North China Basin

Abstract

The North China Basin is the largest coal-bearing basin in China, and has an areal extent of 800,000 km 2 . We analyzed 138 coal samples and in situ pillar coal samples of the middle Permian from this basin by macropetrography, microscope, scanning electron microscope, gas chromatography, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometer in order to study wildfires. High contents of inertinite (charcoal) and natural coke particles observed in coal samples indicate that vegetation in precursor mires and peats of the middle Permian coal from north China was exposed to far-ranging wildfires. In addition, high-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were detected in the coal samples. These aromatic compounds were formed under high temperatures and provide further evidence of wildfire. These wildfires would have discharged significant CO and CO 2 gases into the atmosphere and affected the paleoclimate and paleoecosystem. LITHOSPHERE

Characteristics of Early Cretaceous wildfires in peat-forming environment, NE China

“…The coals in the western part of the study area contain higher charcoal abundances than those in the eastern part based on the coal petrological evidence (Table 1). Higher levels of inertinite in contemporaneous coals have also been recorded from New Zealand, America, Canada, Africa, and North China (Diessel 2010;Sun et al 2017). The variability in inertinite content indicates that wildfires were prevalent in the coal-forming peatland during the Early Cretaceous, and may record transitional periods from higher wildfire activity (Erlian Basin and Hailar Basin) to lower wildfire activity (Sanjiang Basin).…”

Wildfire evidence from the Middle and Late Permian Hanxing Coalfield, North China Basin

“…Coalfield, North China Basin b). Most of the studies of palaeo-wildfires are related to the wildfires occurred in the Late Paleozoic era (Arzadún et al, 2017;Jasper et al, 2013;Kauffmann et al, 2016;Manfroi et al, 2015;Shen et al, 2011;Singh and Shukla, 2004;Sun et al, 2017). These palaeo-wildfires consumed O 2 and released CO, CO 2 to the atmosphere which modified the atmospheric temperatures and ecosystems (Berner, 2006;Lenton, 2013;Scott and Glasspool, 2006;Scott et al, 2016).…”

“…These palaeo-wildfires consumed O 2 and released CO, CO 2 to the atmosphere which modified the atmospheric temperatures and ecosystems (Berner, 2006;Lenton, 2013;Scott and Glasspool, 2006;Scott et al, 2016). Sun et al (2017) have reported also that the palaeowildfires of the Middle Permian could have discharged massive quantities of pollutants and increased the ambient temperature, causing the floral extinction that occurred at the Middle Permian. Shen et al (2011) have reported also that the wildfires of the Late Permian may have acted as a catalyst to the Permo-Triassic Boundary (PTB) mass extinction events.…”

“…However, occurrences of wildfires are increasing in present days due to anthropogenic causes and the interrelationships between the wildfire and the future of mankind are coming into more light (Scott et al, 2016). Palaeo-wildfires are an important factor in the evolution of past climates, and therefore their study is relevant for the prediction of climate changes on earth (Flannigan et al, 2009;Freeman and Cattell, 1990;Grasby et al, 2011;Lenton, 2013;Scott and Glasspool, 2006;Shen et al, 2011;Sun et al, 2017;Yan et al, 2019;Xu et al, 2020a,…”

The characteristics of hydrocarbon generation, reserving performances of fine-grained rock, and preservation conditions of coal measure shale gas of an epicontinental sea basin: A case study of the Late Palaeozoic shale gas in the Huanghebei Area of Western Shandong

“…The shale gas source rock formations were mainly a set of dark fine-grained rock masses formed during the Carboniferous and Permian Periods, and contained from bottom to top, the Benxi Formation, Taiyuan Formation, Shanxi Formation, and Shihezi Group (Sun et al, 2002(Sun et al, , 2016(Sun et al, , 2017.…”