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Earth’s massive extinction: the story gets worse
http://www.ucalgary.ca/news/utoday/january6-2012/extinction[font face=Times,Times New Roman,Serif][font size=5]Earth’s massive extinction: the story gets worse[/font]
January 6, 2012
[font size=3]Scientists have uncovered a lot about the Earth’s greatest extinction event that took place 250 million years ago when rapid climate change wiped out nearly all marine species and a majority of those on land. Now, they have discovered a new culprit likely involved in the annihilation: an influx of mercury into the eco-system.
“No one had ever looked to see if mercury was a potential culprit. This was a time of the greatest volcanic activity in Earth’s history and we know today that the largest source of mercury comes from volcanic eruptions,” says Steve Grasby, adjunct professor, research scientist at Natural Resources Canada and co-author of a paper published in the journal Geology. “We estimate that the mercury released then could have been up to 30 times greater than today’s volcanic activity, making the event truly catastrophic.”
Benoit Beauchamp, co-author and professor of geology, says this is the first time mercury has been linked to the cause of the massive extinction that took place during the end of the Permian, about 250 million years ago.
“Geologists, including myself should be taking notes and taking another look at the other five big extinction events,” he says.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/G32596.1January 6, 2012
[font size=3]Scientists have uncovered a lot about the Earth’s greatest extinction event that took place 250 million years ago when rapid climate change wiped out nearly all marine species and a majority of those on land. Now, they have discovered a new culprit likely involved in the annihilation: an influx of mercury into the eco-system.
“No one had ever looked to see if mercury was a potential culprit. This was a time of the greatest volcanic activity in Earth’s history and we know today that the largest source of mercury comes from volcanic eruptions,” says Steve Grasby, adjunct professor, research scientist at Natural Resources Canada and co-author of a paper published in the journal Geology. “We estimate that the mercury released then could have been up to 30 times greater than today’s volcanic activity, making the event truly catastrophic.”
Benoit Beauchamp, co-author and professor of geology, says this is the first time mercury has been linked to the cause of the massive extinction that took place during the end of the Permian, about 250 million years ago.
“Geologists, including myself should be taking notes and taking another look at the other five big extinction events,” he says.
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4 replies
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Maybe a volcano leading from a big deposit of mercury deep inside the earth, who knows. I do know that whatever it was wasn't or couldn't be compared to what we're doing today.
I'm anti-coal and anti-nuclear just so you know 