Wildfire activity and impacts on palaeoenvironments during the late Paleozoic Ice Age - New data from the North China Basin

Geochemical Constraints and Astronomical Forcing on Organic Matter Accumulation of Marine–Continental Transitional Shale Deposits in the Qinshui Basin during the Carboniferous–Permian Transition

“…The proliferation of stone pine plants and the prevalence of crown fires likely resulted in a large amount of plant debris production, transportation, and deposition with other terrigenous detrital materials, contributing to the formation of coal-bearing shale deposits rich in TOC. During SX deposition, lepidophyte proportions declined, new plants appeared, and the frequency of crown fires decreased . Consequently, terrigenous OM inputs weakened, rendering the sedimentary OM susceptible to dilution through the terrigenous detrital materials.…”

“…One involves the transportation and aggregation of terrigenous OM (e.g., fragments of higher plants) into sedimentary basins, while the other entails excessive terrigenous detrital inputs, diluting the OM abundance of sediments. Shen et al noted a heightened intensity of wildfire activities in the NCB during the late Gzhelian period, with a transition of the wildfire type from surface fires to crown fires. Stone pine plants are susceptible to crown fires and relatively well-developed in the TY sediments, whereas they are greatly decreased in the SX sediments .…”

“…Shen et al 5 noted a heightened intensity of wildfire activities in the NCB during the late Gzhelian period, with a transition of the wildfire type from surface fires to crown fires. Stone pine plants are susceptible to crown fires 5 and relatively well-developed in the TY sediments, whereas they are greatly decreased in the SX sediments. 6 The proliferation of stone pine plants and the prevalence of crown fires likely resulted in a large amount of plant debris production, transportation, and deposition with other terrigenous detrital materials, contributing to the formation of coal-bearing shale deposits rich in TOC.…”

“…During SX deposition, lepidophyte proportions declined, new plants appeared, and the frequency of crown fires decreased. 5 Consequently, terrigenous OM inputs weakened, rendering the sedimentary OM susceptible to dilution through the terrigenous detrital materials. Organic carbon burial is an important aspect of the carbon cycle of the Earth, with the MCT environment serving as a major site for carbon sinks.…”

“…During this C–P transition, a momentous shift from an icehouse to a greenhouse climate occurred . The supercontinent Pangaea boasted complex vegetation ecosystems, which are instrumental in enhancing carbon sequestration (i.e., coal formation). , Moreover, explosive volcanic activities and frequent wildfires contributed to global warming and changes in ocean circulation systems. − These driving factors directly or indirectly played an important role in the carbon cycle, profoundly affecting the burial of organic matter (OM).…”