Mass extinction: our collision course

[Urban Ranger]

250 million years ago, near the end of Permian period, a mass extinction took place in a span of 80,000 years. It was so massive that it wiped out 95% of all species on earth. It dwarfs the catastrophe that killed off the dinosaurs.

The cause? Climatic change, or an estimated increase of 10°C of the average surface temperature.

Newest research indicates that there were two stages to the cataclysm. First, a large scale basaltic fissure eruption in what's today's Siberia ejected sufficient CO₂ to raise the surface temperature by 5°C. This increased the temperature of the ocean water sufficiently to trigger the large stores of undersea methane hydrate to "melt" (disassociate), giving off huge quantities of methane. Its presence is indicated by the unusally high amount of carbon 12 during the period. This event caused a further rise in the surface temperature, wiping out most of the lifeforms on earth at the time.

With conservative estimates putting the rise in the average surface temperature at 5°C for the next 50-100 years, the undersea methane hydrate tanks will again "melt."

Isn't this fun?

[Jack_www]

anther end of the world thread, whats new? .

[Asher]

Canada will finally be a decent place to live for my lifetime.

[Solly]

Things will always go wrong and on such a big scale it is impossible to counter.

[Sprayber]

I watched a show on the discovery channel about what they called a super volcano that may be in the process of forming underneath Yellowstone that some think could wipe out most of the region and produce a worldwide castastrophe. Here is a link to the U.S. Geological Survey site about Yellowstone. I thought it was an interesting show.

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/history.html

[Japher]

At least you will be able to fart in public again

[Asmodean]

I honestly believe that Bruce Willis will stop this before it reaches catastrophic proportions.

Asmodean

[Jack_www]

Originally posted by Sprayber
I watched a show on the discovery channel about what they called a super volcano that may be in the process of forming underneath Yellowstone that some think could wipe out most of the region and produce a worldwide castastrophe. Here is a link to the U.S. Geological Survey site about Yellowstone. I thought it was an interesting show.


http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/yvo/history.html

I saw some program the other day too about some "super volcano," but I have a hard time believing a volcano could spew enough dust into the air to kill entire planet.

[DAVOUT]

Re: Mass extinction: our collision course

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
250 million years ago, near the end of Permian period, a mass extinction took place in a span of 80,000 years. It was so massive that it wiped out 95% of all species on earth. It dwarfs the catastrophe that killed off the dinosaurs.

Was it not 65 millions years ago that the dinosaurs made room available for us ?

[Sava]

I'm not concerned... if it happens.... COOL!... if not... oh well...

[CorpusScorpius]

Originally posted by Jack_www


I saw some program the other day too about some "super volcano," but I have a hard time believing a volcano could spew enough dust into the air to kill entire planet.

Every few years, Central America burns their crop land. Depending on wind conditions, the air quaility in S/SE Texas from these man made fires causes problems w/ Air Quality (could be in conjunction w/ the piss poor Air here in Houston)
So it is possible (odds are probably the same as an Asteroid Hit) that a Super Volcano could cause catastrophic events world wide.
Wasn't there some natural disaster in the middle ages that dimmed the sun light on earth for a year or so?

[Caligastia]

All these catastrophic possibilities have a very remote chance of actually happening...but let's all panic anyway.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Caligastia
All these catastrophic possibilities have a very remote chance of actually happening

No they don't. Infact, most of them are guarenteed to happen - just a matter of when. The chances might be remote of it happening in your life time.... but some generation's got to be the unlucky one, eh?

[Solly]

Well I hope this asteroid doesn't hit my grave..

[DAVOUT]

Originally posted by Park Avenue
Well I hope this asteroid doesn't hit my grave..

... although it would make a unique and original stone on a grave ...