What caused the Permian extinction?

Massive volcanic eruptions in Siberia released enormous amounts of carbon dioxide over about a million years, causing rapid global warming, ocean acidification, and widespread oxygen loss in both oceans and atmosphere.

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Late Permian Period

260-252 million years ago

The Late Permian ended with the greatest catastrophe in the history of life on Earth. Advanced therapsids and a diverse array of marine life dominated the world, until massive volcanic eruptions in Siberia triggered runaway global warming and ocean acidification. By the time it was over, 96% of all species were gone.

Fun Facts

✓The Permian-Triassic extinction is known as The Great Dying, the worst mass extinction in Earth's history.
✓Siberian Trap volcanism released enough carbon dioxide to warm the planet by 10 degrees Celsius or more.
✓Ocean oxygen levels collapsed, creating dead zones across much of the seafloor.
✓Recovery from the extinction took 5-10 million years, far longer than any other mass extinction.

Questions About the Late Permian

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