Rosalind V. White and Andrew D. Saunders
(Lithos, Volume 79, Issues 3-4, February 2005, Pages 299-316)
Fig. 1. Extinction rate versus time
(multiple-interval marine genera: modified from Sepkoski (1996) to reflect radiometric age constraints on stratigraphic boundaries)
compared with eruption ages of continental flood basalt provinces. Three of the most severe extinctions, the P–Tr, the Tr–J and the K–T, correspond with eruption of the Siberian Traps, Central Atlantic Magmatic Province and Deccan Traps, respectively. Evidence of impact (*) has also been reported at these times ([Alvarez et al., 1980], [Becker et al., 2001], [Olsen et al., 2002a] and [Basu et al., 2003]). The K–T crater is 180 km in diameter; for the P–Tr and Tr–J boundaries, the size (and indeed existence) of any impact is not confirmed. The end-Guadalupian extinction (259 Ma) coincides with eruption of the Emeishan Traps (Zhou et al., 2002), but no evidence for impact has been noted for this boundary. Oceanic plateaus may also have had profound environmental consequences (e.g., Kerr, 1998). Selected oceanic plateaus are therefore included on this figure, but as text only, because the preservational bias of the geological record towards younger examples would otherwise render the diagram misleading. SP: Sorachi Plateau, Japan; KP: Kerguelen Plateau; OJP: Ontong Java Plateau; CP: Caribbean-Colombian Plateau.
Alvarez, LW, Alvarez, W, Asaro, F, and Michel, HV (1980). "Extraterrestrial cause for the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction". Science. 208 (4448): 1095–1108. doi:10.1126/science.208.4448.1095. PMID17783054.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Becker, Luann (23 February 2001). "Impact Event at the Permian-Triassic Boundary: Evidence from Extraterrestrial Noble Gases in Fullerenes". Science. 291 (5508): 1530–1533. doi:10.1126/science.1057243. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
Olsen, P.E. (17 May 2002). "Ascent of Dinosaurs Linked to an Iridium Anomaly at the Triassic-Jurassic Boundary". Science. 296 (5571): 1305–1307. doi:10.1126/science.1065522. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
Basu, Asish R. (21 November 2003). "Chondritic Meteorite Fragments Associated with the Permian-Triassic Boundary in Antarctica". Science. 302 (5649): 1388–1392. doi:10.1126/science.1090852. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
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