Pulses in silicic arc magmatism initiate end-Permian climate instability and extinction

Brief pulses of intense volcanic eruptions along convergent margins emit substantial volatiles that drive climatic excursions that can lead to major extinction events. However, correlating volcanic outpouring to environmental crises in the geological past is often difficult due to poor preservation of volcanic sequences and the need for precise dating methods. Here we present a high-fidelity CA-TIMS U-Pb zircon record of an end-Permian flare-up event in eastern Australia, which involved the eruption of >39,000-150,000 km(3) of silicic magma in circa 4.21 +/- 0.5 million years. A correlated high-resolution tephra record (circa 260-249 Ma) in the proximal sedimentary basins suggests recurrence of eruptions from the volcanic field in intervals of similar to 51,000-145,000 years. Peak eruption activity at 253 +/- 0.5 million years ago is chronologically associated with intervals of pronounced species decline and the demise of the Glossopteris forests in the initial stages of the end-Permian mass extinction event (similar to 1-2 Myr). Simultaneous eruptions along multiple arcs around the globe occurred at the same time as eastern Australia. In conjunction, these global eruptions are considered as a trigger of greenhouse crises and ecosystem stress that preceded the catastrophic eruption of the Siberian Traps.

Automated summary

This study presents a detailed record of a late Permian volcanic event in eastern Australia, which lasted for approximately 4.21 million years and involved the eruption of a significant amount of silicic magma. The researchers also found that the timing of the volcanic activity coincided with a decline in species abundance and the disappearance of Glossopteris forests, suggesting that these global volcanic eruptions triggered the late Permian mass extinction event.