Volcanism, mass extinction, and carbon isotope fluctuations in the Middle Permian of China

Paul B. Wignall; Yadong Sun; David P. G. Bond; Gareth James Izon; Robert J. Newton; Stephanie Vedrine; Mike  Widdowson; Jason R. Ali; Xulong Lai; Haishui Jang; Helen Cope; Simon H. Bottrell

doi:10.1126/science.1171956

Volcanism, mass extinction, and carbon isotope fluctuations in the Middle Permian of China

Paul B. Wignall, Yadong Sun, David P. G. Bond, Gareth James Izon, Robert J. Newton, Stephanie Vedrine, Mike Widdowson, Jason R. Ali, Xulong Lai, Haishui Jang, Helen Cope, Simon H. Bottrell

St Andrews Isotope Geochemistry

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Abstract

The 260-million-year-old Emeishan volcanic province of southwest China overlies and is interbedded with Middle Permian carbonates that contain a record of the Guadalupian mass extinction. Sections in the region thus provide an opportunity to directly monitor the relative timing of extinction and volcanism within the same locations. These show that the onset of volcanism was marked by both large phreatomagmatic eruptions and extinctions amongst fusulinacean foraminifers and calcareous algae. The temporal coincidence of these two phenomena supports the idea of a cause-and-effect relationship. The crisis predates the onset of a major negative carbon isotope excursion that points to subsequent severe disturbance of the ocean-atmosphere carbon cycle.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1179-1182
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	324
Issue number	5931
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1171956
Publication status	Published - 2009

Keywords

Volcanic eruptions
Mass extinction
Carbon isotope excursion
Ocean-atmosphere carbon cycle
Middle Permian
Southwest China

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10.1126/science.1171956

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title = "Volcanism, mass extinction, and carbon isotope fluctuations in the Middle Permian of China",

abstract = "The 260-million-year-old Emeishan volcanic province of southwest China overlies and is interbedded with Middle Permian carbonates that contain a record of the Guadalupian mass extinction. Sections in the region thus provide an opportunity to directly monitor the relative timing of extinction and volcanism within the same locations. These show that the onset of volcanism was marked by both large phreatomagmatic eruptions and extinctions amongst fusulinacean foraminifers and calcareous algae. The temporal coincidence of these two phenomena supports the idea of a cause-and-effect relationship. The crisis predates the onset of a major negative carbon isotope excursion that points to subsequent severe disturbance of the ocean-atmosphere carbon cycle.",

keywords = "Volcanic eruptions, Mass extinction, Carbon isotope excursion, Ocean-atmosphere carbon cycle, Middle Permian , Southwest China",

author = "Wignall, {Paul B.} and Yadong Sun and Bond, {David P. G.} and Izon, {Gareth James} and Newton, {Robert J.} and Stephanie Vedrine and Mike Widdowson and Ali, {Jason R.} and Xulong Lai and Haishui Jang and Helen Cope and Bottrell, {Simon H.}",

note = "This work is supported by funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (grant no. NE/D011558/1)",

year = "2009",

doi = "10.1126/science.1171956",

language = "English",

volume = "324",

pages = "1179--1182",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Volcanism, mass extinction, and carbon isotope fluctuations in the Middle Permian of China

AU - Wignall, Paul B.

AU - Sun, Yadong

AU - Bond, David P. G.

AU - Izon, Gareth James

AU - Newton, Robert J.

AU - Vedrine, Stephanie

AU - Widdowson, Mike

AU - Ali, Jason R.

AU - Lai, Xulong

AU - Jang, Haishui

AU - Cope, Helen

AU - Bottrell, Simon H.

N1 - This work is supported by funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (grant no. NE/D011558/1)

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - The 260-million-year-old Emeishan volcanic province of southwest China overlies and is interbedded with Middle Permian carbonates that contain a record of the Guadalupian mass extinction. Sections in the region thus provide an opportunity to directly monitor the relative timing of extinction and volcanism within the same locations. These show that the onset of volcanism was marked by both large phreatomagmatic eruptions and extinctions amongst fusulinacean foraminifers and calcareous algae. The temporal coincidence of these two phenomena supports the idea of a cause-and-effect relationship. The crisis predates the onset of a major negative carbon isotope excursion that points to subsequent severe disturbance of the ocean-atmosphere carbon cycle.

AB - The 260-million-year-old Emeishan volcanic province of southwest China overlies and is interbedded with Middle Permian carbonates that contain a record of the Guadalupian mass extinction. Sections in the region thus provide an opportunity to directly monitor the relative timing of extinction and volcanism within the same locations. These show that the onset of volcanism was marked by both large phreatomagmatic eruptions and extinctions amongst fusulinacean foraminifers and calcareous algae. The temporal coincidence of these two phenomena supports the idea of a cause-and-effect relationship. The crisis predates the onset of a major negative carbon isotope excursion that points to subsequent severe disturbance of the ocean-atmosphere carbon cycle.

KW - Volcanic eruptions

KW - Mass extinction

KW - Carbon isotope excursion

KW - Ocean-atmosphere carbon cycle

KW - Middle Permian

KW - Southwest China

U2 - 10.1126/science.1171956

DO - 10.1126/science.1171956

M3 - Article

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 324

SP - 1179

EP - 1182

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 5931

ER -

Volcanism, mass extinction, and carbon isotope fluctuations in the Middle Permian of China

Abstract

Keywords

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