Re: Global Warming and the Permian Extinction

Continuing with my recent spate of jeremiads:

Global Warming Led To Atmospheric Hydrogen Sulfide And Permian Extinction

Washington, D.C. --- Volcanic eruptions in Siberia 251 million years ago
may have started a cascade of events leading to high hydrogen sulfide
levels in the oceans and atmosphere and precipitating the largest mass
extinction in Earth's history, according to a Penn State geoscientist.

"The recent dating of the Siberian trap volcanoes to be contemporaneous
with the end-Permian extinction suggests that they were the trigger for
the environmental events that caused the extinctions," says Lee R. Kump,
professor of geosciences. "But the warming caused by these volcanoes
through carbon dioxide emissions would not be large enough to cause mass
extinctions by itself."

That warming, however, could set off a series of events that led to mass
extinction. During the end-Permian extinction 95 percent of all species
on Earth became extinct, compared to only 75 percent during the K-T when
a large asteroid apparently caused the dinosaurs to disappear.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/02/050223130549.htm


--dkomo@xxxxxxxx


There were some other stories about this a while ago that I thought made
an interesting connection. One story was about this hydrogen sulfide
event and another was about hydrogen sulfide triggering a deep hibernation
response. And I remember reading somewhere else that hydrogen sulfide can
be smelled at very low concentrations.

That was leading me to wonder if the response of modern life to hydrogen
sulfide could also be evidence indicating a massive hydrogen sulfide
"selection event" in the past. Any living thing that didn't detect
hydrogen sulfide and flee or that didn't go into hibernation died.
Leaving the survivors to repopulate the planet.

I can't think of how to go beyond the raw idea, but it seems to be an
interesting scenario.

Ken Aaker

.

Relevant Pages

  • Global Warming and the Permian Extinction
    ... Global Warming Led To Atmospheric Hydrogen Sulfide And Permian Extinction ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: evolution changes
    ... I seriously doubt that a warming earth....even to the point of no ice ... Or, at the very least, why it is less probable than extinction. ... Global warming = rising temperature = high panic among humans = quick ... millenia with a stone-aged technology. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Article: Boost to CO2 mass extinction idea
    ... Boost to CO2 mass extinction idea ... A computer simulation of the Earth's climate 250 million years ago suggests ... The warming had a profound impact on the oceans, ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)
  • Re: Global Warming and the Permian Extinction
    ... Global Warming Led To Atmospheric Hydrogen Sulfide And Permian Extinction ... D.C. --- Volcanic eruptions in Siberia 251 million years ago ... "The recent dating of the Siberian trap volcanoes to be contemporaneous ...
    (talk.origins)