Scientists have found out why there was the most massive extinction in the seas of the Earth. Computer simulations have shown how this can happen again and what we face.
Scientists are considering the possibility of a second "Great Extinction". The first, as the researchers believe, happened due to increased volcanic activity in the area of present-day Siberia. Due to volcanic emissions, the planet's atmosphere is filled with a critical amount of greenhouse gases. The problem is that now the Earth can play a similar scenario again, at least in the sea.
Previously, it was not known why the "Great Extinction" was so devastating for marine organisms. According to the Daily Mail, scientists have found a possible solution.
The "Great Extinction" occurred at the end of the Permian period, 252 million years ago. It destroyed more than 96% of marine life, 73% of terrestrial vertebrate species and, for the only time in the history of our planet, 83% of insect species. Because of such a comprehensive "cleaning" of all living things, the biosphere was restored for a very long time and hard, unlike other extinctions (in total, there were five of them during the existence of the planet).
Why did extinction hit marine animals the most? The fact is that warming has caused a gradual heating of water in the oceans. And warm water cannot hold the amount of oxygen necessary for the life of most animals. The problem is that the oceans are already gradually warming up. Scientists warn: by 2100, water heating will reach 20% of Permian temperatures, and this process will continue. By 2300, it can reach 50%, but the rate is highly dependent on how quickly the overall warming process will develop.
Computer simulations have shown that if the level of greenhouse gases reaches the level that the Earth's atmosphere reached before the Great Extinction, then the oceans will warm by about 10 degrees. This will cause a loss of approximately 80% oxygen. Most of today's marine species will not be able to survive in such conditions. Species adapted to cold and oxygen-rich waters will most actively flee and die out. Abrupt changes in marine biota will inevitably affect terrestrial species. However, with such a level of greenhouse gases, they will have enough of their own problems. Scientists note the contribution of anthropogenic sources of pollution. “This study highlights the potential for mass extinctions associated with a similar mechanism in anthropogenic climate change,” says the lead researcher. Dr. Justin Penn.
Computer modeling data are confirmed by the results of paleontological finds and research. Dr. Penn and his co-authors note that for the first time it was possible to obtain a model that made calculations that were fully confirmed in the study of fossils and geological deposits. “This allows us to make predictions about the causes of extinction in the future,” says the scientist.