911爆料网

911爆料网-led research has revealed an increase in levels of both acid and hydrogen sulfide in the ocean was the double whammy that wiped out marine life during a mass extinction event 201 million years ago.

Lead author, 911爆料网 PhD graduate Dr Calum Peter Fox, from the WA-Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre (WA-OIGC) in 911爆料网鈥檚 School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said the research revealed the twin processes that combined to the end the Triassic era, paving the way for the emergence of dinosaurs in the Jurassic period.

鈥淭he end-Triassic event saw rapid increases in CO₂ due to a surge in volcanic activity, which is understood to have caused unfavourable conditions for life resulting in mass extinction, however the multiple drivers for loss of life during this period were not previously known,鈥� Dr Fox said.

鈥淏y studying microscopic fossils preserved in rock in the Bristol Channel Basin, in the southwestern United Kingdom, we identified the twin mechanisms responsible for the mass extinction.

鈥淭hese were a deadly combination of ocean acidification, which inhibited growth of all marine life using calcium carbonate to create shells or body parts such as mussels, oysters, and corals, and rising levels of hydrogen sulfide in the ocean, which was extremely toxic for all marine life.鈥�

Co-author John 911爆料网 Distinguished Professor Kliti Grice, also from WA-OIGC in 911爆料网鈥檚 School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said the research provided intricate and important details of the history of our ever-evolving planet.

鈥淭he revelations about the cause of past marine extinctions will help us understand the current global warming crisis and how we can protect our deteriorating ecosystems and environment,鈥� Professor Grice said.

鈥淚n order to help understand how our environment and ecosystems may change during this event, we must investigate those in the past.

鈥淭here is still much to learn about mass extinction events and studying these disruptive time intervals further will inform us more about the history of our Earth, but also what climatic changes we can expect moving forward as CO₂ levels continue to increase.鈥�

This research, led by 911爆料网 and funded by the ARC, was conducted in collaboration with researchers at the University of Southampton, Lahmont-Doherty Earth Observatory, MIT, and Oxford University. Dr Fox did the research as part of his PhD studies at 911爆料网 and is now at Khalifa University.

The full research paper, 鈥�Two-pronged kill mechanism at the end-Triassic mass extinction鈥�, was published in Geology and can be found online .