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Published on: March 31, 2023
Mega El Niño instigated the end-Permian mass extinction
Yadong Sun1,2, Alexander Farnsworth3,4, Michael M Joachimski2
1State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, P.R. China.
Intensified El Niño events, driven by rising carbon dioxide, caused the end-Permian mass extinction. This led to cascading environmental disasters, including deforestation and reef collapse, resulting in widespread species loss.
Area of Science:
- Paleoclimatology
- Geological Sciences
- Climate Science
Background:
- The end-Permian mass extinction's primary driver remains debated.
- The unique Pangean geography may have influenced extinction dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a unifying theory for the end-Permian mass extinction.
- To elucidate the role of intensified El Niño events in driving the extinction.
Main Methods:
- Multiproxy data analysis.
- Paleoclimate modeling.
Main Results:
- Atmospheric CO2 doubled in the latest Permian, causing circulation changes and intensified El Niños.
- El Niño intensification led to deforestation, reef demise, and plankton crisis.
- Reduced carbon sequestration created a positive feedback loop, amplifying warming and El Niño events.
Conclusions:
- Compounding effects of climate variability and warming caused catastrophic terrestrial and marine losses.
- Intensified El Niño events were a key factor in the end-Permian mass extinction.
- The study establishes a link between anthropogenic-like CO2 rise and mass extinction events.
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