The applicability of Raman spectroscopy in the assessment of palaeowildfire intensity

Evidence of wildfires in deep time is preserved as fossilised charcoal fragments the rock record and inertinite macerals coal. Historically, reflectance has been utilised to assess formation temperature these charcoals, thus burning intensities prehistoric fires. This achieved by quantifying variability a function changes microstructure with temperature. Raman spectroscopy shown similarly carbonaceous organic matter thermal maturation. However, there have few applications wildfire-derived modern or prehistoric. Little consideration also paid nature applicability derived parameters assessing intensity. study presents novel assessment method for interpreting palaeowildfire Spectra were obtained from experimentally pyrolysed Calluna vulgaris material, generated across range natural wildfire temperatures, subsequent compared established principles. For intensity, this found best correlations between maturity and; D-band full-width at half-maximum (D-FWHM) D?/G-band ratio (D-FWHM/G-FWHM). Additional parameters, commonly applied studies charcoal, are otherwise influenced non-linearity. The influence precursor material on derived, indicating further complexity when heterogenous samples. Our results indicate that, whilst offers extraordinary potential understanding analyses used require measured consideration.