Have you ever heard of “the Great Dying” or the “End-Permian Extinction”? It was a catastrophic event that happened on Earth around 250 million years ago, wiping out more than 90 percent of all life on the planet. While the extinction of the dinosaurs gets a lot of attention, this event was even more disastrous.
Scientists recently discovered how this cataclysm occurred, and it all started with a massive volcanic eruption in Siberia, Russia, known as the “Siberian flood basalts.” These eruptions lasted for about one million years, releasing a vast amount of toxic gases into the atmosphere.
The lead author of the study, Michael Broadley, explained that what made this disaster unique was the destruction of the Earth’s ozone layer at the time. The volcanic eruption released a large amount of halogens from the Siberian lithosphere, which are highly toxic elements that can be deadly if inhaled. This destruction of the ozone layer led to the mass extinction event, killing off not only larger animals but also 96 percent of the world’s marine life and countless insects.
It took the ecosystem about 10 million years to recover from this event, showing the devastating impact it had on life on Earth. Broadley conducted this research with the help of Lawrence (Larry) Taylor, a renowned scientist who sadly passed away in 2017.
This event, also known as the “Permian-Triassic extinction,” serves as a stark reminder of the power of natural disasters and their lasting effects on our planet’s biodiversity.
