Acidic oceans led to Earth’s worst mass extinction

LONDON: Ocean acidification triggered Earth's greatest extinction of all time, wiping out more than 90% of marine species and over two-thirds of land animals some 250 million years ago, a new study has found. Researchers found that oceans absorbed huge amounts of carbon dioxide from volcanic eruptions which changed their chemical composition — making them more acidic — with catastrophic consequences for life on the planet.

The amount of carbon added to the atmosphere that triggered the mass extinction was probably greater than today's fossil fuel reserves, according to the study published in the journal Science. However, the carbon was released at a rate similar to modern emissions. This fast rate of release was a critical factor driving ocean acidification, the study found.

The researchers analysed rocks unearthed in the UAE — which were on the ocean floor at the time — to develop a climate model to work out what drove the extinction. "The Permian-Triassic Boundary extinction took place over a 60,000 year period. Acidification of the oceans lasted for around 10,000 years," researchers said. Ocean acidification was the driving force behind the deadliest phase of the extinction.

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