Explore the Earth's largest mass extinction event in this 57-minute lecture from the Royal Tyrrell Museum Speaker Series. Delve into the Permian-Triassic boundary catastrophe as viewed from Arctic Canada, presented by Dr. Benoit Beauchamp from the University of Calgary. Examine five stratigraphic sequences, ammonoid fauna, and the sub-Triassic unconformity. Investigate key locations such as Meishan, China, and the Sverdrup Basin in Arctic Canada. Learn about biostratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy, and the breakdown of silicate buffering leading to a runaway greenhouse effect. Discover the role of the Siberian Traps in this global event and explore the continuous Permian-Triassic transition in the Sverdrup Basin. Gain insights into the lead-up, catastrophe, and aftermath of this pivotal moment in Earth's history through geological evidence and expert analysis.
Permian-Triassic Mayhem: Earth's Largest Mass Extinction
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology via YouTube
Overview
Syllabus
Intro
Steve Grasby, Ph.D. Geological Survey of Canada (Calgary)
Synopsis
Mass extinctions
Five stratigraphic sequences
Ammonoid fauna
Sub-Triassic unconformity
Meishan, China
Sverdrup Basin - Late Carboniferous
Biostratigraphy
Sequence Stratigraphy
Lindstrom & Black Stripe formations
"Glass" ramp
Silica factory
Buchanan Lake Gartnerkofel Arctic Canada
Sverdrup Basin, Arctic Canada
Late Carboniferous silicate buffering
Early to Late Permian breakdown of silicate buffering: Runaway Greenhouse
Summary
The stage was set...
Siberian Traps
Latest Permian to earliest Triassic return to saturation
Aragonite fans
Continuous P-T transition in Sverdrup Basin - There is no basin-wide unconformity
Taught by
Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology
