All the leading scientific theories conclude that carbon gases released by volcanic eruptions as a major culprit for the greatest mass extinctions that occurred millions of years ago. But, new research contradicts the theories of volcanism as the major culprit and claims all these facts as distorted. Using samples from ancient volcanic eruptions including the 252-million-year-old Siberian traps, researchers believe the carbon released from these eruptions was able to adjust the changes in the carbon cycle during mass extinctions. Moreover, it also gives insights on how volcanic eruptions move carbon inside the Earth and between the solid Earth and the atmosphere. Researchers believe such research is crucial to understand the environmental changes caused by volcanic eruptions during the past and how it could affect the earth’s climate in the coming centuries.
