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Amidst the eerie silence of a desolate planet Earth, a scene of haunting desolation
unfolds. The air hangs heavy with toxicity, and the oceans, once teeming with life, now
stretch out as lifeless expanses. This grim tableau emerges in the aftermath of an
unparalleled catastrophic event.
This is a tale of geological tumult—massive volcanic
eruptions belching forth toxic gases. A crescendo of annihilation that casts a long shadow
over both past and future extinction events. This devastation during the late Permian was so
profound that it earned a name etched in history—The Great Dying.
Extinction
Over 99 percent of the total number of organisms that have inhabited Earth throughout its history have become extinct. As new species adapt to the ever-shifting ecological demands, older species gradually vanish. However, the pace of extinction is far from steady. Over the past 500 million years, on several occasions, between 75 and over 90 percent of Earth's species have vanished in what seems like an instant in geological time, known as mass extinction events. The most deadly extinction event took place approximately 251.9 million years ago and ushered in the end of the Permian geologic period.
The 5 mass extinction events
The Late Permian
An alien planet
Let's journey back to a world so distinct from our own that it could easily belong to another galaxy. Some 300 million years ago, the Permian epoch reigned, painting a portrait of our planet that would astound even the most imaginative minds. It was a time when Earth's landmasses converged to shape Pangaea, a colossal supercontinent that defied the geographical norms we know today.
Long before the dinosaurs took their inaugural steps, a world of astonishing peculiarity unfolded. Gigantic insects and amphibians roamed a landscape devoid of flowering plants, while the seas hosted bizarre marine creatures like trilobite-like ammonoids and reef-building organisms known as rugose corals. Yet, even as these ancient wonders flourished, a silent drama of death and destruction was brewing deep beneath the Earth's crust—a volcanic event that would soon unleash a devastating sequence of cataclysmic events.
The Cataclyst
The Siberian Traps In the heart of present-day Siberia lies the catalyst that heralded the end of the Permian era. Over the course of a staggering 300,000 years, a relentless eruption unfurled in this region. The result was a apocalptic scene. Imagine a patch of molten rock, equivalent in size to the United States, with a depth of 1 kilometer, etching its mark on the Earth's canvas.
Air Pollution The consequences of these colossal eruptions extended far beyond the molten expanse. The plumes of gases and particles ejected into the atmosphere during the Siberian Traps eruptions would leave an indelible mark on the composition of the air itself
Carbon Dioxide The rate of carbon dioxide release from the Siberian Traps represented one of the most rapid rises of carbon dioxide levels in the geologic record.
Carbon Dioxide It is estimated that the Carbon Dioxide particles in the atmosphere skyrocketed by sixfold to around 2500ppm up to 8000 ppm during the early Triassic. To put this in perspective, today's carbon dioxide levels hover around 400 ppm.
The air became toxic
Accompanying the rise in carbon dioxide, the eruption released a mix of biotoxic compounds like mercury, nickel, and cobalt. Soon a cloud of sulfur-rich volatiles spread across the globe, briefly dimming sunlight and casting the planet into darkness. This triggered a short spell of global cooling, disrupting ecosystems on a worldwide scale.
The oceans starved of oxygen
As the gases released by the eruption dissolved into the oceans over time, they caused carbon concentrations in marine waters to rise. This triggered a series of consequential changes. First, the increased carbon led to higher acidity in the ocean waters, a phenomenon known as ocean acidification. Secondly, the escalating carbon levels contributed to a depletion of oxygen in the oceans, creating an environment where certain bacteria thrived. These bacteria produced hydrogen sulfide, a toxic and foul-smelling gas.
The global temperature shifted dramatically
The liberation of CO2 set off a potent greenhouse effect, triggering a profound alteration in Earth's temperature dynamics. Prior to the commencement of the extinction event, the thermometer hovered around 18.2°C. Yet, as the event unfolded, temperatures surged dramatically to an intense 35°C or even higher, enduring for potentially up to half a million years. These surges in temperature exerted a global influence, inducing a 10-14°C warming in Gondwana's southern latitudes and propelling tropical sea surface temperatures from 27-33°C to exceed 35°C.
The Extinction
Pressure on fragile ecosystems
The profound changes in the atmosphere, ocean composition, and global temperature had a cascading impact on existing ecosystems, leading to the demise of entire families and species. Organisms unable to adapt quickly enough faced extinction. The disappearance of key players in ecosystems disrupted intricate webs of interactions, further destabilizing the balance between predators and prey. The loss of such pivotal species set off a chain reaction, causing the collapse of entire ecosystems.
Marine life
In the depths of ancient oceans, marine invertebrates bore the brunt of this calamity. 286 out of 329 marine invertebrate genera vanished within the final sedimentary zones containing Permian conodonts. The extinction disproportionately affected organisms reliant on stable CO2 levels for skeletal formation, leaving an important gap in the food chain.
Insects
The late Permian extinction event is also the first extinction event that brought a halt to many insect species. Eight to nine insect orders disappeared from the annals of history, while others endured a dramatic reduction in diversity. In turn this would have had drastic consequences for the plant life that depends on insects for pollination.
Plant life
The decline of insect populations wreaked havoc on flowering plants. The skies grew dim from the eruption's clouds, hindering the plants' photosynthesis process. This struggle was further compounded by raging forest fires ignited by the planet's rising temperatures and the relentless flow of magma. As the extinction event reached its conclusion, the world's forests vanished entirely, erasing a vital ecosystem that numerous organisms had once called home.
Terrestrial vertebrates
Land animals faced a swift and unforgiving reckoning. In a span of 50,000 years, or perhaps even fewer, over two-thirds of labyrinthodont amphibians, sauropsids, and therapsids vanished into the annals of extinction. Large herbivores, those gentle giants that once roamed the land, fell victim to the same forces that had unfurled across the globe.
Lessons from the past
Recovery
The recovery from this ecological disaster spanned millions of years, an eternity in the context of human life. It took countless generations of life forms to rebuild the intricate web of life that was shattered. The survivors of the event diversified and evolved to fill niches left vacant by the vanished species. Nature's tenacity for renewal echoes through time.
Parallels with the present
Yet, the Permian-Triassic Mass Extinction stands as an unforgettable testament to the planet's capacity for upheaval and transformation and the equilibrium of our planet's integrate ecosystems is a delicate balance that can be easily disrupted. The greenhouse gas emissions, and the resultant global changes—are not confined to history. In fact, they resonate uncannily with the challenges we face today: anthropogenic carbon emissions, accelerated global warming, and the impending loss of biodiversity.
Lessons from the past
The lessons of the past offer a guiding light for the present and a map for navigating the challenges of the future. As we gaze upon the abyss of the Permian-Triassic Mass Extinction, let us not only remember the fallen but heed the warnings, for the echoes of extinction call us to shape a future where history need not repeat itself.