The Link between Large Igneous Province Eruptions and Mass Extinctions

Research Article| December 01, 2005 The Link between Large Igneous Province Eruptions and Mass Extinctions Paul Wignall Paul Wignall 1School of Earth and Environment University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK wignall@earth.leeds.ac.uk Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Paul Wignall 1School of Earth and Environment University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK wignall@earth.leeds.ac.uk Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1811-5217 Print ISSN: 1811-5209 © 2005 by the Mineralogical Society of America Elements (2005) 1 (5): 293–297. https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.1.5.293 Article history First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Paul Wignall; The Link between Large Igneous Province Eruptions and Mass Extinctions. Elements 2005;; 1 (5): 293–297. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.1.5.293 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyElements Search Advanced Search Abstract In the past 300 million years, there has been a near-perfect association between extinction events and the eruption of large igneous provinces, but proving the nature of the causal links is far from resolved. The associated environmental changes often include global warming and the development of widespread oxygen-poor conditions in the oceans. This implicates a role for volcanic CO2 emissions, but other perturbations of the global carbon cycle, such as release of methane from gas hydrate reservoirs or shut-down of photosynthesis in the oceans, are probably required to achieve severe greenhouse warming. The best links between extinction and eruption are seen in the interval from 300 to 150 Ma. With the exception of the Deccan Trap eruptions (65 Ma), the emplacement of younger volcanic provinces has been generally associated with significant environmental changes but little or no increase in extinction rates above background levels.1 You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.