A usage-based size classification scheme for sedimentary charcoal

Terms referring to charcoal particle size classifications are inconsistent in the paleofire literature. Inconsistencies of terminology prevent effective scientific discourse and research comparability. In this paper, I use the Global Charcoal Database (GCD) to determine the relative usage of sieving size boundaries and use these metadata as a proxy for the consensus of the paleofire community. With consideration of the size classification bounds used in other fields, I propose a standardized size classification system and terminology for charcoal particles. This system consists of macroscopic (>125 μm), mesoscopic (50–125 μm), and microscopic (10–50 μm) charcoal particles and aims to unify paleofire jargon by conforming to the terminology and most commonly used size bounds in the community