Fire in the earth sciences

Abstract

The earth sciences has a major role to play in elucidating the links between fire, humanity and the global environment. Currently, this emerging area of research is hampered by a lack of agreed definitions for the carbonaceous products of biomass burning, and a lack of agreed analytical protocols which make it impossible to directly compare the results of individual studies. With an appropriate suite of chemical and instrumental techniques in place, it will be possible to start untangling the complicated linkages between fire, climate, vegetation and humans.