- Permian extinction - Alteration of the carbon cycle
- end-Triassic extinction
- Permian Period - Alteration of the carbon cycle
- climate change - Volcanic activity
- volcano - Subduction volcanoes
- ocean acidification
- Ocean Acidification: How Carbon Dioxide Is Hurting the Seas
- volcano - Gas clouds
- oxide - Oxides of sulfur
How could Siberian Traps volcanism have changed the acidity of the oceans?
The prolonged eruption of the Siberian flood basalts—known as the Siberian Traps—is widely associated with the Permian extinction through its profound impact on the global carbon cycle.12
The volcanism likely altered ocean acidity by injecting massive quantities of carbon dioxide into the [atmosphere]. This release was further intensified by the ignition of large coal seams and the burning of forests by hot [lava]. As the oceans absorbed this excess atmospheric carbon dioxide, a chemical reaction occurred: the gas dissolved in seawater to create carbonic acid, which subsequently liberated hydrogen ions.123
This increase in hydrogen ion concentration lowered the pH of the seawater, resulting in ocean acidification. This process reduced the availability of carbonate ions, making it difficult for marine calcifiers to build and maintain their shells and skeletons, ultimately threatening the stability of marine food chains during the Permian Period.34