Researchers find smoking gun of world's biggest extinction

[kpete]

Source: University Of Calgary

January 24, 2011
Researchers find smoking gun of world's biggest extinction

By Leanne Yohemas

A recent discovery of coal ash layers at Buchanan Lake, Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut provided the first direct evidence of significant coal fires at the Latest Permian Extinction.

About 250 million years ago, about 95 percent of life was wiped out in the sea and 70 percent on land. Researchers at the University of Calgary believe they have discovered evidence to support massive volcanic eruptions burnt significant volumes of coal, producing ash clouds that had broad impact on global oceans.

"This could literally be the smoking gun that explains the latest Permian extinction," says Dr. Steve Grasby, adjunct professor in the U of C's geoscience department and research scientist at Natural Resources Canada.

Grasby and colleagues discovered layers of coal ash in rocks from the extinction boundary in Canada's High Arctic that give the first direct proof to support this and have published their findings in Nature Geoscience.

Unlike the end of the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago-where there is widespread belief that the impact of a meteorite was at least the partial cause-it is unclear what caused the late Permian extinction. Previous researchers have suggested massive volcanic eruptions through coal beds in Siberia would generate significant greenhouse gases causing run away global warming.


Read more: http://wcmprod2.ucalgary.ca/geoscience/January_2011

[sharesunited]

1. If I were you, I would say "best evidence" instead of "smoking gun."

There is a local dispute going on about the semantics.

[kpete]

2. not my headline

to change,
but thanks,
and peace, kp

[Webster Green]

3. That's against LBN rules.

The original headline must be used as the thread title.

[earthside]

4. Political Correctness run amok.

Sanitizing the language of any and all metaphors, colloquialisms, similes, etc. if they have a hint of reference to guns or conflict?

That's the kind of overreaction and "we know what's best for you" and zero tolerance nonsense that ultimately just brings ridicule and disdain upon liberals.

No thanks.

[wtmusic]

5. I don't think that was the intent.

Though "smoking gun" will grab attention, it implies a higher standard of proof than (in this case) the more accurate "best evidence".

onedit: notice that in the article's title the author changed a "could-be" smoking gun into the real thing.

[bemildred]

6. So this supports the idea that the extinction was related to the Siberian Traps eruption.

That's what I get from it.