Evidence for atmospheric carbon injection during the end-Permian extinction

[knocker]

Abstract

 

The end-Permian mass extinction is marked by pronounced terrestrial ecosystem turnover and a severe loss of marine invertebrate biodiversity. This extinction event is accompanied by a prominent negative carbon-isotope excursion indicating massive changes in the global carbon cycle across the Permian-Triassic boundary. In this study, we present organic carbon-isotope data from land plant cuticles, fossil wood fragments, and bulk organic matter recovered from the Amb section in the Salt Range, Pakistan. We apply δ¹³C data from cuticles as a proxy record for the carbon-isotope composition of atmospheric CO₂ across the Permian-Triassic boundary. The data show an ∼5.5‰ negative excursion in terrestrial organic matter, reflecting the change in carbon-isotope composition of atmospheric CO₂. Our data demonstrate that these atmospheric changes coincide with biotic (mass extinction) and abiotic (carbonate carbon-isotope perturbation) changes in the marine realm, hence affecting the entire ocean-atmosphere system.

 

 

http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/41/5/579.abstract

Edited April 19, 2013 by knocker

[Steve C]

Stating the obvious, but worded in gobbledygook imho.

[knocker]

Well all I can say is, "the self-evident is obscure to most people".

[Steve C]

I would say that the Siberian Traps are evidence of one of the biggest known volcanic episodes, which would involve a huge release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and this occurred at the end of the Permian period - the time of the great dying - the biggest mass extinction in our history -  dwarfing the Cretaceous / tertiary event, which was curtains for the dinosaurs (apart from birds )