Using lithium (Li) isotope analyses, researchers report light seawater lithium-isotopic signatures from sedimentary rocks in South China at the Permian-Triassic boundary, which marks a severe mass extinction event in Earth's history; theoretical modeling linked the light Li isotopes to enhanced continental weathering associated with the eruption time of the Siberian Traps, which might have played a role in the Permian-Triassic mass extinction, illustrating a potential link between terrestrial and marine ecological crises, according to the authors.
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Article #17-11862: "Rapid enhancement of chemical weathering recorded by extremely light seawater lithium isotopes at the Permian-Triassic boundary," by He Sun et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Yilin Xiao, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, CHINA; e-mail: ylxiao@ustc.edu.cn
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences