Researchers at the University College Cork (UCC) and the Swedish Museum of Natural History have studied the recent extinction of Permian (252 million years ago) and completely destroyed all species on Earth. As a result of this catastrophic loss, researchers have found a significant increase in wildfire activity. Volcanic emissions, high temperatures and dehydration caused volcanic eruptions in areas that were previously permanently wet. Instead of removing carbon from the atmosphere, these swamps became the main source of carbon in the atmosphere, which improved the tendency to heat up. The study was published in Pallaius Today (30Th June).
Fossils have been discovered in eastern Australia and Antarctica.
Researchers have studied fossils and charcoal records from the Sydney and Bowen Basin in eastern Australia and the Antarctica (Lambert Graben) in Australia, and found that wetlands are frequently disturbed by wildfires. In response, the plants developed a variety of fire protection mechanisms. However, extreme climate change and high levels of fire activity seem to have pushed these fire-resistant plants to the brink, leaving the entire ecosystem unable to recover for millions of years.
“When we look at fossils in Eastern Australia and Antarctica, we find a large number of burnt or charcoal plants in the last period of Permian. “It was followed by low coal prices over the next three million years. This was the last Permian fire, followed by Early Triassic stress.” Comments Dr. Chris Mayis, professor of paleontology at University College Cork (UCC) and lead author of the study.
Is the earth on the verge of extinction?
Researchers have shown that wildfires in the world today (for example, California 2018, 2020, Australia 2019-20) have caused horrific mass deaths. At the same time, global warming has led to long-term global warming, and wildfires, such as the Indonesian forests and the vast pantan swamps of South America, have increased. These major ‘carbon washers’ — carbon dioxide from the atmosphere — are critical to fighting climate change. According to fossils, without these carbon dioxide regions, the world could remain unhealthy for hundreds of thousands of years.
“Instead of a sign of climate change, wildfires should be further investigated as a direct cause of extinction. Comments Dr Mays.
Source: https://www.ucc.ie/
