Climate warming in the latest Permian and the Permian-Triassic mass extinction

Abstract

High-resolution oxygen isotope records document the timing and magnitude of global warming across the Permian-Triassic (P-Tr) boundary. Oxygen isotope ratios measured on phosphate-bound oxygen in conodont apatite from the Meishan and Shangsi sections (South China) decrease by 2‰ in the latest Permian, translating into low-latitude surface water warming of 8 °C. The oxygen isotope shift coincides with the negative shift in carbon isotope ratios of carbonates, suggesting that the addition of isotopically light carbon to the ocean-atmosphere system by Siberian Traps volcanism and related processes resulted in higher greenhouse gas levels and global warming. The major temperature rise started immediately before the main extinction phase, with maximum and harmful temperatures documented in the latest Permian (Meishan: bed 27). The coincidence of climate warming and the main pulse of extinction suggest that global warming was one of the causes of the collapse of the marine and terrestrial ecosystems. In addition, very warm climate conditions in the Early Triassic may have played a major role in the delayed recovery in the aftermath of the Permian-Triassic crisis.

High-precision timeline for Earth’s most severe extinction

“…The efficacy of many proposed kill mechanisms, such as synchronous sea surface and atmospheric temperature increase, rapid rise in pCO 2 , and flooding of shelf areas with anoxic and euxinic waters, depends on rate of change and on precisely when they occur relative to the onset of extinction (9,34,35). For example, it is crucial to know whether the ∼10°C increase in sea surface temperature close to the extinction interval slightly predates or postdates the onset of the mass extinction (9,33) (Fig.…”

“…Sea surface paleotemperature increases ∼10°C (∼23-33°C) over the extinction interval (9,33), beginning near the base of bed 25 and continuing into the early Triassic (Fig. S1).…”

“…Attempts to reconcile the patterns and rates of extinction in marine and terrestrial environments has led to some agreement on the nature of severe environmental changes, including increased atmospheric pCO 2 and acidification of the oceans, as well as widespread euxinic/anoxic conditions and a sharp spike in sea surface temperature (4,(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12), and inferentially, kill mechanism(s).…”

Highly productive polar forests from the Permian of Antarctica

“…Deglaciation during the Early Permian involved an overall increase in ρC02, albeit with large fluctuations, and this and related temperature rise caused demonstrable floral change (Montanez et al, 2007). An increase in temperature continued through the Permian, with a Late Permian 8 o C rise in sea surface temperature indicated by high-resolution oxygen isotope records from conodont apatite from South China (Joachimski et al, 2012). Permian stratigraphic units in the Central Transantarctic Mountains reflect this paleoclimate change (see section 2.1 above).…”

“…The Permian succession in the Beardmore Glacier area of the Central Transantarctic Mountains reflects a transition in the Permian from icehouse to greenhouse to hothouse conditions (e.g., Kidder and Worsley, 2004;2010;Shi and Waterhouse, 2010 (Bond et al, 2010;Shi and Waterhouse, 2010;Kidder and Worsley, 2010;Joachimski et al, 2012). Unfortunately, there is insufficient biostratigraphic control and radiometric dating to closely link the Lamping Peak forests in time to these events.…”