Palaeo Fires

08.05.2025

Palaeo Fires

Why in the news?   

Recently, Scientists have traced evidence of palaeo fires (ancient wildfires) from the Permian Period (~250 million years ago) in the Godavari Basin.

About Palaeofires and Key Findings

• Palaeo Fires refer to wildfire events preserved in geological records, which play a crucial role in understanding Earth’s past vegetation, climate evolution, and coal formation.
• The study spanned geological periods from the Late Silurian (443.8–419.2 million years ago) to the Quaternary (from 2.58 million years ago to present), highlighting how wildfires have historically shaped landscapes, vegetation patterns, and coal formation.
• The research combined advanced techniques like Palynofacies analysis, Raman Spectroscopy, Rock-Eval Pyrolysis, and FTIR Spectroscopy to examine microscopic organic matter and fossil charcoal in ancient sedimentary rocks.
• Palynofacies analysis revealed three main types of organic particles:
  • Translucent Organic Matter (TrOM) – includes pollen and plant debris.
  • Palaeofire Charcoal (PAL-CH) – direct evidence of vegetation burning.
  • Oxidized Charcoal (OX-CH) – possibly reworked or transported post-burning.
• Key discovery: The team successfully distinguished between in situ (on-site) and ex situ (transported) charcoal, helping resolve a long-standing debate in geology regarding the origin of charcoal found in coal-bearing formations.
• Stratigraphic patterns (rock layering) revealed that:
  • During regressive phases (sea-level drop), well-preserved, concentrated fire residues were found.
  • During transgressive phases (sea-level rise), charcoal was more oxidised and dispersed, indicating environmental mixing and transport.
• High atmospheric oxygen levels in the Permian Period likely made the Earth more fire-prone, intensifying wildfire frequency and scale.
• The Raniganj Coalfield was one of the earliest Indian sites where macroscopic charcoal in coal seams suggested the presence of palaeofires in ancient peat-forming environments (palaeomires).
• These findings help understand how wildfires influence carbon cycling and long-term carbon sequestration—important for modern climate change mitigation strategies.

                               Source: PIB

Consider the following statements with reference to Palaeo Fires:

Statement-I: Palaeo Fires refer to wildfire events preserved in geological records.

Statement-II: It plays a crucial role in understanding Earth’s present vegetation, climate evolution, and coal formation.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

A.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.

B.Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.

C.Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect.

D.Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct.

Answer C