Siberian Traps

The Siberian Traps are a vast province of volcanic rocks in northern Asia, formed mainly by enormous eruptions around 252 million years ago and associated with the end-Permian mass extinction.

Large igneous province: A region of exceptionally extensive igneous rocks, usually produced by large-volume magma emplacement over geologically short periods. The Siberian Traps are among Earth’s largest examples of this volcanic province type.
Permian–Triassic boundary: The boundary between the Permian and Triassic periods, dated to about 252 million years ago. The main eruptive phase overlaps this boundary and the mass extinction.
Global warming: A sustained increase in Earth’s average surface temperature, caused by natural or human-driven changes in climate forcing. Volcanic greenhouse-gas emissions drove rapid warming during the end-Permian crisis.
End-Permian extinction chronology: The sequence and duration of biological losses during the Permian–Triassic extinction interval. Resolving extinction timing against eruptive pulses tests how closely the events tracked one another.
Siberian Traps volcanism: The eruptive and intrusive activity that produced the Siberian Traps around the Permian–Triassic boundary. Its timing and scale link the province to global environmental upheaval.
U–Pb dating: A radiometric dating method that uses uranium decay to measure ages of minerals and rocks. Uranium–lead dates constrain the timing and duration of Siberian Traps magmatism.
Ocean acidification: A decrease in ocean pH caused chiefly by seawater uptake of carbon dioxide. Atmospheric carbon dioxide from volcanism entered seawater and threatened marine organisms.
Volcanic carbon dioxide emissions: Carbon dioxide released by volcanic eruptions and associated magma emplacement. Their quantity and timing help determine the magnitude of warming attributed to the province.
Sill (geology): A tabular sheet of igneous rock formed when magma intrudes parallel to existing rock layers. Magma intruded sedimentary basins as extensive sills, intensifying heating of organic-rich rocks.
Paleogeography: The study and reconstruction of the geographic arrangements of Earth’s surface in the geological past. Ancient continental positions place the province within Permian Siberia and its sedimentary basins.

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