<
https://gizmodo.com/scientists-finally-solved-the-mystery-of-earths-great-dying-its-bad-news-for-our-future-2000784825>
"Roughly 252 million years ago, nearly all life on Earth vanished. In a blink
of geologic time, the Permian-Triassic mass extinction—also known as the Great
Dying—wiped 96% of marine species and 70% of terrestrial species off the
planet. The question that has plagued researchers for decades is, why?
Well, hang on a minute. Let me be more precise. Scientists do know what
triggered the Great Dying: The geological record shows that a surge of volcanic
activity (likely from the Siberian Traps) filled the atmosphere with greenhouse
gases, ushering in a much warmer climate that most species simply couldn’t
tolerate. However, the specific kill mechanisms at play have long perplexed
experts.
In a study published July 6 in the journal
Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences, a team of scientists believes they have finally pinned down why
so many sea animals died as a result of this extreme global warming. The
findings not only solve a longstanding scientific mystery, but present a
warning about Earth’s future.
“The biggest mass extinction of all time started from a world that is very
similar to today,” senior author Erik Anders Sperling, an associate professor
of Earth and planetary sciences at Stanford University, said in a statement."
Via Kenny Chaffin.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
