Nickel isotopes link Siberian Traps aerosol particles to the end-Permian mass extinction

Area of Science:

• Geoscience
• Paleoclimatology
• Isotope Geochemistry

Background:

• The end-Permian mass extinction (EPME) was the most severe extinction event in the past 540 million years.
• The Siberian Traps large igneous province (STLIP) is a leading candidate for triggering the EPME.
• Volatile release from STLIP eruptions is hypothesized to be the primary cause of environmental catastrophe.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the role of nickel aerosols in the EPME.
• Determine the timing and extent of environmental changes preceding the EPME.
• Link magmatic activity to oceanic and atmospheric changes.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of nickel isotopes (δ⁶⁰Ni) in Permian-Triassic sedimentary rocks from Arctic Canada.
• Utilizing sedimentary rock records to trace atmospheric and oceanic processes.

Main Results:

• δ⁶⁰Ni values ranged from -1.09‰ to 0.35‰, the lightest ever reported for sedimentary rocks.
• Evidence for global dispersion and deposition of nickel-rich aerosol particles into the Panthalassic Ocean.
• Indicates environmental degradation commenced before the EPME event.

Conclusions:

• Nickel-rich aerosols from STLIP eruptions played a significant role in the EPME.
• Global dispersion of these aerosols altered ocean chemistry.
• Environmental changes began well before the extinction event, linking magmatism to the catastrophe.