Did lava floods contribute to the Permian-Triassic extinction? - study
The Permian-Triassic extinction eliminated 80 to 90 percent of species on the planet.
Volcano has erupted in Iceland near Reykjavik (photo credit: REUTERS)
Lava floods may have contributed to the Permian–Triassic extinction
event 250 million years ago, minerals from southern China seem to
suggest. New findings indicate that Earth's temperatures were heavily
lowered due to volcanic eruptions that produced what is called "volcanic winter."
The study was published in the journal Science Advances. The journal contains studies by more than 20 researchers from multiple universities worldwide.
The Permian-Triassic extinction, which occurred 250 million years ago, eliminated 80 to 90 percent of species on the planet.
According to the study, this lead to severe global warming from volcanic releases of carbon dioxide.
Volcano has erupted in Iceland near Reykjavik (credit: REUTERS)
However,
the researchers also suggested that the eruptions in the Siberian Traps
were not the only cause responsible for the extinction, but rather that
it was also due to other eruptions in southern China. This also lead to
oxygenation reduction in ocean waters - which is deadly for marine
life.
Researchers
also found copper and mercury in the southern China region whose age
coincided with the Permian extinction. They were also marked with
anomalies due to emissions from nearby eruptions. In other words, they
were marked with volcanic ash.
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