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201 million years ago, abundant atmospheric gas triggered a mass extinction: Study says history may repeat itself
N
ature has rewritten the rules of survival more than once throughout the history of existence, witnessing asteroid impacts, super volcanoes, and the causes of mass extinction.
There are many reasons for the complete disappearance of species, and one of these silent killers is ocean acidification, which is due to the buildup of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere, which then dissolves into seawater and disrupts marine chemistry.
While many people associate today's rising CO₂ levels and warming oceans with modern industrial activity, similar events have happened in Earth's distant past, even long before humans ever walked the planet.
Scientists now believe that carbon-driven ocean acidification was a major factor in some of Earth's most significant mass extinction events, and surprisingly, the patterns from the past look similar to what we're experiencing today.
A study that was published in Nature Communications sheds light on one such ancient crisis
Acidification of the ocean can be harmful to the Earth's future
Roughly 201 million years ago, at the boundary between the Triassic and Jurassic periods, Earth's oceans went through a major crisis.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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New research from the University of St Andrews and the University of Birmingham has confirmed that a sharp and prolonged drop in ocean pH, caused by a massive carbon dioxide surge, contributed directly to a global extinction event.
What was the study all about?
The
study
, led by scientists including Dr. James Rae and Dr. Sarah Greene, is the first to fully reconstruct ancient ocean pH levels using boron isotopes found in fossil oysters. These specimens were collected from Lavernock Point in Wales, which showed a significant drop in pH by at least 0.29 units, possibly more than 0.41.
According to the researchers, this corresponds to a CO₂ level over 1300 parts per million (ppm). For comparison, current CO₂ levels are around 420 ppm.
'The geological record tells us that major CO₂ release transforms the face of our planet, acidifying the ocean, and causing mass extinction,' said Dr. Rae in the university press release. 'We have to act fast to avoid these outcomes in our future.'
The carbon release, estimated at over 10,000 gigatons, was likely driven by volcanic activity as the supercontinent Pangaea began to break apart.
The resulting acidification devastated coral reefs and shell-forming marine life, creating a 'reef gap' that lasted hundreds of thousands of years.
Dr. Greene said, 'This warning from the past should give us fresh cause to step up efforts to reduce human greenhouse gas emissions.'
Today's acidification is happening even faster, making this ancient event a chilling parallel and a reminder that Earth doesn't need an asteroid to spark a mass extinction. Sometimes, it can only be rising carbon levels due to pollution.
