In a recent study, scientists have found out that climate change, triggered by a volcanic eruption, has caused the biggest mass extinction that the Earth has ever seen.
The "Great Dying" was said to have been caused by rising temperatures after greenhouse gases were built into the atmosphere. 252 million years ago this was caused by the Siberian Traps, a large region of volcanic rock in Siberia, Russia.
Also known as a large igneous province, these traps were formed by a massive eruption, the largest volcanic event known in 500 million years and is popularly known as the "Great Dying."
During the Great Dying, 95% of life was wiped out. This paved the way for dinosaurs to roam the planet.
A group of scientists has discovered a layer of ancient mercury that dates in the period suggesting that volcanoes were behind the Great Dying.
Jun Shen of the China University of Geosciences, the lead author of the study, explained that volcanic activities combined with the emissions of greenhouse gases and combustion of organic matter have released abundant mercury to the surface of the Earth.
Thomas Algeo, a professor of Geology at the University of Cincinnati explains that large explosive volcanic eruptions could typically release a lot of mercury into the atmosphere.
In their studies, present-day Siberia has launched about 3 million square kilometers of ash into the air during the period. That is about 1 million more times than the ash ejected during 2010's Eyjafjallajökull eruption.
According to the study, 12 locations on the planet were identified to have a spike in mercury.
Algeo further explains that the creatures would have adapted to the cold environment however the scientist's hypothesis is that the temperature change could have caused the acidification and other toxins in the environment such as mercury. The scientist further explains that this kind of pressure is the cause of one of Earth's five mass extinctions.
Algeo points out that this crisis is serious business. Their study has confirmed that the more stress humans put on to the environment, then the more stress will the environment give back, harming human interests. The scientist also calls for actions to be done by humanity and its leaders to address the problems and minimize the damage before it could reach the phase when it is already a crisis.
Computer models have also been used to conclude that catastrophic climate change has resulted in the Great Dying, as shown in a study the past year.
