Biomass burning is an important component of the Earth system in terms of global biogeochemistry, atmospheric composition, climate, terrestrial ecology, and land use. This study examines published ice core trace gas measurements of acetylene, ethane, and methane, which have been used as proxies for paleofire emissions. We investigate the consistency of these records for the past 1,000 years in terms of (1) temporal trends in global fire emissions and (2) quantitative estimates for changes in global burning (dry matter burned per year). Three‐dimensional transport and box models were used to construct emissions scenarios for the trace gases consistent with each ice core record. Burning histories were inferred from trace gas emissions by accounting for biome‐specific emission factors for each trace gas. The temporal trends in fire inferred from the trace gases are in reasonable agreement, with a large decline in biomass burning emissions from the Medieval Period (MP: 1000–1500 CE) to the Little Ice Age (LIA: 1650–1750 CE). However, the three trace gas ice core records do not yield a consistent fire history, even assuming dramatic (and unrealistic) changes in the spatial distribution of fire and biomes. Substantial changes in other factors such as meteorological transport or atmospheric photochemical lifetimes appear to be required to reconcile the trace gas records.

中文翻译：

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从乙炔，乙烷和甲烷的冰芯记录中提取过去千年全球火灾排放的历史

就全球生物地球化学，大气成分，气候，陆地生态和土地利用而言，生物量燃烧是地球系统的重要组成部分。这项研究检查了已公开的乙炔，乙烷和甲烷的冰芯微量气体测量值，这些测量值已用作古火排放的代理。我们根据（1）全球火灾排放的时间趋势和（2）全球燃烧（每年燃烧的干物质）变化的定量估计值，研究过去1000年中这些记录的一致性。使用三维运输和盒子模型构建与每个冰芯记录一致的痕量气体的排放情景。通过考虑每种痕量气体的生物群系特定排放因子，可从痕量气体排放推断出燃烧历史。从微量气体推断出的火的时间趋势基本吻合，从中世纪时期（MP：1000-1500 CE）到小冰河时期（LIA：1650-1750 CE），生物质燃烧排放量大幅度下降。但是，即使假设火灾和生物群落的空间分布发生了戏剧性（且不切实际的）变化，这三个痕量气冰芯记录也无法产生一致的火灾历史。调和痕量气体记录似乎需要其他因素的重大变化，例如气象运输或大气光化学寿命。甚至假设火灾和生物群落的空间分布发生了戏剧性（且不切实际的）变化。调和痕量气体记录似乎需要其他因素的重大变化，例如气象运输或大气光化学寿命。甚至假设火灾和生物群落的空间分布发生了戏剧性（且不切实际的）变化。调和痕量气体记录似乎需要其他因素的重大变化，例如气象运输或大气光化学寿命。