Past fires and post-fire impacts reconstructed from a southwest Australian stalagmite

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorMcDonough, LKen_AU
dc.contributor.authorTreble, PCen_AU
dc.contributor.authorBaker, AAen_AU
dc.contributor.authorBorsato, Aen_AU
dc.contributor.authorFrisia, Sen_AU
dc.contributor.authorNagra, Gen_AU
dc.contributor.authorColeborn, Ken_AU
dc.contributor.authorGagan, MKen_AU
dc.contributor.authorFakra, SCen_AU
dc.contributor.authorPaterson, DJen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2023-08-04T00:06:26Zen_AU
dc.date.available2023-08-04T00:06:26Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2021-07-09en_AU
dc.date.statistics2023-02-03en_AU
dc.description.abstractStalagmites provide records of past changes in climate, vegetation, and surface events, with cave dripwaters shown to respond to fires. It is, therefore, most likely that these cave mineral deposits capture the environmental effects of palaeo-wildfires in their chemical and physical properties, as well as the climate conditions antecedent to palaeo-fire events. We analysed multiple proxies in stalagmite (YD-S2) from a shallow cave in south-west Western Australia. Principal Component Analysis revealed that short term peaks in combinations of phosphorus, copper, aluminium, lead and zinc in the stalagmite correspond to the timing of documented fire events occurring in the modern portion of the record. One particularly significant fire event is identified at 1897 ± 5 CE and shows a clear peak in P interpreted to be derived from ash, and a peak in 𝛿18O interpreted to indicate evaporation of sub-surface water during the heat of the fire. A post-fire threshold rise in organic matter content and a shift in calcite fabric associated with higher and more variable drip rates are consistent with a post-fire changes in surface-cave hydrology resulting from heat-induced deformation of the shallow karst bedrock brought about by the intensity of this fire. The combination of climate and fire sensitive proxies in YD-S2 indicates that the 1897 ± 5 CE wildfire was preceded by a multi-decadal dry period. We also identify lower and less variable peak phosphorus concentrations in the pre-European period that are consistent with low-intensity cultural burning by Indigenous Australians. The YD-S2 record shows the potential of stalagmites in capturing the climate-fire relationship and the effects of land-management practices on wildfire frequency and intensity.en_AU
dc.identifier.citationMcDonough, L. K., Treble, P. C., Baker, A., Borsato, A., Frisia, S., Nagra, G., Coleborn, K., Gagan, M, K., Fakra, S. C., & Paterson, D. (2021). Past fires and post-fire impacts reconstructed from a southwest Australian stalagmite. Paper presented to the Australasian Quaternary Association/Friends of the Pleistocene Pop-up Conference 2021, 8-9th July 2021. Retrieved from: http://aqua.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Abstract-book-2021-1.pdfen_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceenddate2021-07-09en_AU
dc.identifier.conferencenameAustralasian Quaternary Association/Friends of the Pleistocene Pop-up Conference 2021en_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceplaceOnlineen_AU
dc.identifier.conferencestartdate2021-07-08en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://aqua.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Abstract-book-2021-1.pdfen_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://apo.ansto.gov.au/handle/10238/15080en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherAustralasian Quaternary Association (AQUA)en_AU
dc.subjectFiresen_AU
dc.subjectCavesen_AU
dc.subjectStable isotopesen_AU
dc.subjectClimatesen_AU
dc.subjectPlantsen_AU
dc.subjectX-ray fluorescence analysisen_AU
dc.subjectMineralsen_AU
dc.subjectEnvironmenten_AU
dc.subjectOrganic matteren_AU
dc.subjectAustraliaen_AU
dc.titlePast fires and post-fire impacts reconstructed from a southwest Australian stalagmiteen_AU
dc.typeConference Presentationen_AU
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Abstract-book-2021-1.pdf
Size:
1.14 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.63 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Conference Publications