Sunday, May 29, 2022
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • CCPA
  • DMCA
News Two Daily News
  • Home
  • Headlines
  • US News
  • World
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Science
  • Health
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Headlines
  • US News
  • World
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Science
  • Health
No Result
View All Result
Morning News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

Cause of worst mass extinction ever found

  • Sponsored results for Cause of worst mass extinction ever found

  •  
June 27, 2021
in Science
Cause of worst mass extinction ever found


  • A new paper claims to identify the cause of the Great Dying that occured nearly 252 million years ago.
  • During the worst mass extinction event ever, most of Earth’s life perished.
  • The study suggests a volcanic eruption in Siberia spread aerosolized nickel particles that harmed organisms on the planet.

Dinosaurs are the most infamous victims of a mass extinction event 66 million years ago. But an even worse extinction happened 251.9 million years ago.

Called the end-Permian mass extinction or the Great Dying, this most severe of extinction events wiped out about 90 percent of the planet’s marine species and 75 percent of terrestrial species. While scientists long have suspected it was initiated by volcanic eruptions in what is now Siberia, until now they haven’t been able to explain exactly how so many species died out.

A new paper published in Nature Communications lays out the case that nickel particles that became aerosolized as a result of eruptions in the Siberian Traps region became dispersed through the air and water and were the cause of the ensuing environmental catastrophe. The paper pinpoints huge Norilsk nickel sulfide ore deposits in the Tunguska Basin that “may have released voluminous nickel-rich volcanic gas and aerosols into the atmosphere” as the start of the chain of events that led to the mass extinction.

The study is based on analysis of nickel isotopes that came from late Permian sedimentary rocks gathered from the Buchanan Lake section in the Sverdrup Basin in the Canadian High Arctic. What’s notable about the rock samples is that they featured the lightest nickel isotope ratios ever measured, leading the scientists to conclude that the nickel came in the form of aerosolized particles from a volcano.

As the paper outlines, the only comparable nickel isotope values would be those from volcanic nickel sulfide deposits. The scientists write that of all the mechanisms that could result in such values, “the most convincing” explanation is that they got there as “voluminous Ni-rich aerosols” from the Siberian Traps large igneous province (STLIP).

The deadly effect of nickel particles

When the nickel got into the water, it wreaked havoc on the underwater ecosystem.

Co-author of the study, associate professor Laura Wasylenki of Northern Arizona University, explained that “nickel is an essential trace metal for many organisms, but an increase in nickel abundance would have driven an unusual surge in productivity of methanogens, microorganisms that produce methane gas. Increased methane would have been tremendously harmful to all oxygen-dependent life.” This would have affected living creatures in and out of the water. The professor believes their data offers direct evidence that links nickel-rich aerosols, changes to the ocean, and the mass extinction that followed. “Now we have evidence of a specific kill mechanism,” she added.

NAU associate professor Laura Wasylenki.Credit: Northern Arizona University.

Other theories on the Great Dying

Previous studies have pointed to other effects of the Siberian volcanic eruptions that likely contributed to the extinction event, including an overall warming of the planet, release of toxic…



Read More News: Cause of worst mass extinction ever found

Tags: BiologyChemistryExtinctiongeologyhistoryMassVolcanoesworst

Related Posts

Don’t Miss: Prime Viewing of Mars-Jupiter Conjunction
Science

Don’t Miss: Prime Viewing of Mars-Jupiter Conjunction

May 28, 2022
A Commercial Crew Spacecraft’s Historic Test Mission on This Week @NASA – May 27,
Science

A Commercial Crew Spacecraft’s Historic Test Mission on This Week @NASA – May 27,

May 27, 2022
Boeing’s Starliner returns from space station
Science

Boeing’s Starliner returns from space station

May 27, 2022
Boeing’s Starliner capsule returns to Earth
Science

Boeing’s Starliner capsule returns to Earth

May 26, 2022
5 Bizarre Medical Conditions You’ve Never Heard Of
Science

5 Bizarre Medical Conditions You’ve Never Heard Of

May 25, 2022
NASA captures eruption of ‘Sharkcano’
Science

NASA captures eruption of ‘Sharkcano’

May 24, 2022

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trend Today

Peru President, Martín Vizcarra, Survives Impeachment Vote

Peru President, Martín Vizcarra, Survives Impeachment Vote

September 19, 2020
Suspect killed in shootout with officers in Midvale, 3 others arrested

Suspect killed in shootout with officers in Midvale, 3 others arrested

September 19, 2020
Presentation Pac-12 presidents and chancellors saw before postponing sports featured

Presentation Pac-12 presidents and chancellors saw before postponing sports featured

September 18, 2020
US to declare UN sanctions reimposed on Iran despite disagreement from allies

US to declare UN sanctions reimposed on Iran despite disagreement from allies

September 17, 2020
Hurricane Sally unleashes

Hurricane Sally unleashes

September 16, 2020

EDITOR'S PICK

Deadly pancreatic cancer could soon be spotted by looking at your FAECES

Deadly pancreatic cancer could soon be spotted by looking at your FAECES

March 9, 2022
Campaigners make last effort to save man with intellectual disabilities from

Campaigners make last effort to save man with intellectual disabilities from

November 8, 2021
Ukraine’s Euro 2020 football kit angers Russia

Ukraine’s Euro 2020 football kit angers Russia

June 7, 2021
All Covid patients in L.A. County DHS hospitals are not fully vaccinated

All Covid patients in L.A. County DHS hospitals are not fully vaccinated

July 15, 2021

Headlines

Before massacre, Uvalde gunman frequently threatened teen girls online

Before massacre, Uvalde gunman frequently threatened teen girls online

May 28, 2022
Jurors deliberating in FBI lying trial that revisited 2016 election

Jurors deliberating in FBI lying trial that revisited 2016 election

May 27, 2022
Cruz storms off after being asked why mass shootings happen ‘only in America’

Cruz storms off after being asked why mass shootings happen ‘only in America’

May 27, 2022
Oklahoma governor signs into law strictest abortion ban in the U.S.

Oklahoma governor signs into law strictest abortion ban in the U.S.

May 26, 2022

Sports

Lakers hire Bucks’ Ham as coach, sources say

Lakers hire Bucks’ Ham as coach, sources say

May 28, 2022
5 reasons the Avs should be concerned heading into Game 6 — and 5 reasons they should

5 reasons the Avs should be concerned heading into Game 6 — and 5 reasons they should

May 27, 2022
NBA DFS Picks 5/26 | Deeper Dive & Live Before Lock | Mavericks vs Warriors Game 5

NBA DFS Picks 5/26 | Deeper Dive & Live Before Lock | Mavericks vs Warriors Game 5

May 27, 2022
Brown, 2nd-half revival put C’s 1 win from Finals

Brown, 2nd-half revival put C’s 1 win from Finals

May 26, 2022

World

Deliberations underway in trial linked to Trump-Russia probe

Deliberations underway in trial linked to Trump-Russia probe

May 28, 2022
US and Taiwan could begin talks on closer economic ties ‘in a few weeks’

US and Taiwan could begin talks on closer economic ties ‘in a few weeks’

May 27, 2022
Uvalde Live Updates: Parents Express Anger at Police Response to School Massacre

Uvalde Live Updates: Parents Express Anger at Police Response to School Massacre

May 27, 2022
Ukraine warns of multi-year food crisis; Zelenskyy says situation in Donbas ‘very

Ukraine warns of multi-year food crisis; Zelenskyy says situation in Donbas ‘very

May 26, 2022
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • CCPA
  • DMCA

© 2020 Newstwo.net

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Headlines
  • US News
  • World
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Science
  • Health

© 2020 Newstwo.net

Get more stuff like this
in your inbox

Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your email inbox.

Thank you for subscribing.

Something went wrong.

We respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously