The Reading Palaeofire Database : an expanded global resource to document changes in fire regimes from sedimentary charcoal records

Sedimentary charcoal records are widely used to reconstruct regional changes in fire regimes through time in the geological past. Existing global compilations are not geographically comprehensive and do not provide consistent metadata for all sites. Furthermore, the age models provided for these records are not harmonised and many are based on older calibrations of the radiocarbon ages. These issues limit the use of existing compilations for research into past fire regimes. Here, we present an expanded database of charcoal records, accompanied by new age models based on recalibration of radiocarbon ages using IntCal20 and Bayesian age-modelling software. We document the structure and contents of the database, the construction of the age models, and the quality control measures applied. We also record the expansion of geographical coverage relative to previous charcoal compilations and the expansion of metadata that can be used to inform analyses. This first version of the Reading Palaeofire Database contains 1676 records (entities) from 1480 sites worldwide. The database (RPDv1b - Harrison et al., 2021) is available at https://doi.org/10.17864/1947.000345.Peer reviewe

Air Quality Modelling in Latvia

As a potential member country to the European Union (EU), Latvia has harmonized the national environmental legislation with the EU air quality (AQ) legislation. The AQ management system in the country is being developed in accordance with the requirements laid down in the appropriate EU directives thus introducing advanced management tools based on the AQ modelling. According to the Latvian legislation, the simple empirical model, "Ecolog" (Russia), should not be used for air quality modelling. The new tool for pollution dispersion assessment and management, EnviMan, OPSIS AB Company, Sweden was obtained by the Latvian Hydrometeorological Agency in 1998. Initially it was used only for processing and storage of data collected from automated AQ monitoring stations. First modelling exercises began in 20002001 when a map of Riga was digitized and related to the GIS databases with regard to emission sources; input meteorological data were prepared as well. At the moment, the digital maps have been prepared, and source emission databases are being revised for another 9 industrially developed Latvian towns

Survey on public perceptions of environmental risks

The report presents the results fo the European project. It presents a comparison of the public perception of environmental risks with the scientific assessment of environmental risks, a qualitative assessment of the public perception of environmental risks, and an overview of the main factors influencing the perception of environmental risks

The Reading Palaeofire Database: an expanded global resource to document changes in fire regimes from sedimentary charcoal records

ABSTRACT: Sedimentary charcoal records are widely used to reconstruct regional changes in fire regimes through time in the geological past. Existing global compilations are not geographically comprehensive and do not provide consistent metadata for all sites. Furthermore, the age models provided for these records are not harmonised and many are based on older calibrations of the radiocarbon ages. These issues limit the use of existing compilations for research into past fire regimes. Here, we present an expanded database of charcoal records, accompanied by new age models based on recalibration of radiocarbon ages using IntCal20 and Bayesian age-modelling software. We document the structure and contents of the database, the construction of the age models, and the quality control measures applied. We also record the expansion of geographical coverage relative to previous charcoal compilations and the expansion of metadata that can be used to inform analyses