Scientists: Volcanic eruptions are what caused the mass extinction on Earth 260 million years ago
American scientists from New York University have identified the cause of the global climate catastrophe that occurred at the end of the Paleolithic era about 260 million years ago.
According to the findings of scientists, it was the massive eruption of volcanoes that caused the largest mass extinction in Earth's history. A study in this regard was published in the scientific journal Earth-Science Reviews.
Due to volcanic activity, a lot of carbon dioxide entered the Earth's atmosphere, causing a severe greenhouse effect and creating unbearable conditions for most living creatures on our planet.
Scientists focused on studying basalt magma explosions, which are the largest lava explosions on Earth, in which molten materials spread from the ground over an area of at least one million square kilometers.
Meanwhile, the concentration of oxygen in the oceans decreased sharply, which is why the water turned into a destructive factor for the creatures living in it.
The researchers added that such phenomena occur every 26 or 33 million years, and they coincide with critical changes in the orbits of the planets in the solar system.
The scientists explained that the disasters they described had nothing to do with the current climate situation on Earth, as the recent changes were caused by human activity, knowing that the last large-scale volcanic eruption studied on Earth occurred about 16 million years ago.
Source: websites