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Sylvain Richoz

Sylvain Richoz

Senior lecturer

Sylvain Richoz

Ocean acidification and the Permo-Triassic mass extinction

Author

  • M. O. Clarkson
  • S. A. Kasemann
  • R. A. Wood
  • T. M. Lenton
  • S. J. Daines
  • S. Richoz
  • F. Ohnemueller
  • A. Meixner
  • S. W. Poulton
  • E. T. Tipper

Summary, in English

Ocean acidification triggered by Siberian Trap volcanism was a possible kill mechanism for the Permo-Triassic Boundary mass extinction, but direct evidence for an acidification event is lacking. We present a high-resolution seawater pH record across this interval, using boron isotope data combined with a quantitative modeling approach. In the latest Permian, increased ocean alkalinity primed the Earth system with a low level of atmospheric CO2 and a high ocean buffering capacity. The first phase of extinction was coincident with a slow injection of carbon into the atmosphere, and ocean pH remained stable. During the second extinction pulse, however, a rapid and large injection of carbon caused an abrupt acidification event that drove the preferential loss of heavily calcified marine biota.

Publishing year

2015-04-10

Language

English

Pages

229-232

Publication/Series

Science

Volume

348

Issue

6231

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0036-8075