Ocean acidification and the Permo-Triassic mass extinction. ...

Ocean acidification triggered by Siberian Trap volcanism was a possible kill mechanism for the Permo-Triassic Boundary mass extinction, but direct evidence for an acidification event is lacking. We present a high-resolution seawater pH record across this interval, using boron isotope data combined w...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Clarkson, MO, Kasemann, SA, Wood, RA, Lenton, TM, Daines, SJ, Richoz, S, Ohnemueller, F, Meixner, A, Poulton, SW, Tipper, ET
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2015
Subjects:
Animals
Aquatic Organisms
Atmosphere
Boron
Carbon
Carbon Cycle
Carbon Isotopes
Ecosystem
Extinction, Biological
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Isotopes
Oceans and Seas
Seawater
Time
Ocean acidification
Online Access:https://dx.doi.org/10.17863/cam.40611
https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/293466
Description
Summary:Ocean acidification triggered by Siberian Trap volcanism was a possible kill mechanism for the Permo-Triassic Boundary mass extinction, but direct evidence for an acidification event is lacking. We present a high-resolution seawater pH record across this interval, using boron isotope data combined with a quantitative modeling approach. In the latest Permian, increased ocean alkalinity primed the Earth system with a low level of atmospheric CO2 and a high ocean buffering capacity. The first phase of extinction was coincident with a slow injection of carbon into the atmosphere, and ocean pH remained stable. During the second extinction pulse, however, a rapid and large injection of carbon caused an abrupt acidification event that drove the preferential loss of heavily calcified marine biota. ...

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