Published in the journal Geology, A

Published in the journal Geology, Associate Professor Fred Jourdan from Curtin's Department of Applied Geology, along with colleagues from several Australian and international institutions, used radioactive dating techniques to precisely measure the age of the eruptions of the Kalkarindji volcanic province -- where lavas covered an area of more than 2 million square kilometres in the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Dr Jourdan and his team were able to prove the volcanic province occurred at the same time as the Early-Middle Cambrian extinction from 510-511 million years ago -- the first extinction to wipe out complex multicellular life.

"It has been well-documented that this extinction, which eradicated 50 per cent of species, was related to climatic changes and depletion of oxygen in the oceans, but the exact mechanism causing these changes was not known, until now," Dr Jourdan said.

"Not only were we able to demonstrate that the Kalkarindji volcanic province was emplaced at the exact same time as the Cambrian extinction, but were also able to measure a depletion of sulphur dioxide from the province's volcanic rocks -- which indicates sulphur was released into the atmosphere during the eruptions.

"As a modern comparison, when the small volcano Pinatubo erupted in 1991, the resulting discharge of sulphur dioxide decreased the average global temperatures by a few tenths of a degree for a few years following the eruption.

"If relatively small eruptions like Pinatubo can affect the climate just imagine what a volcanic province with an area equivalent to the size of the state of Western Australia can do."

The team then compared the Kalkarindji volcanic province with other volcanic provinces and showed the most likely process for all the mass extinctions was a rapid oscillation of the climate triggered by volcanic eruptions emitting sulphur dioxide, along with greenhouse gases methane and carbon dioxide.

"We calculated a near perfect chronological correlation between large volcanic province eruptions, climate shifts and mass extinctions over the history of life during the last 550 million years, with only one chance over 20 billion that this correlation is just a coincidence," Dr Jourdan said.

Dr Jourdan said the rapid oscillations of the climate produced by volcanic eruptions made it difficult for various species to adapt, ultimately resulting in their demise. He also stressed the importance of this research to better understand our current environment.

"To comprehend the long-term climatic and biological effects of the massive injections of gas in the atmosphere by modern society, we need to recognise how climate, oceans and ecosytems were affected in the past," he said.

結果 (中文) 1:

发表在地质学 》 杂志上，副教授 Fred Jourdan 从科廷的应用地质系，从几个澳大利亚和国际机构，协调同事用放射性约会技术来精确测量的 Kalkarindji 火山省 — — 在熔岩覆盖面积超过 200 万平方千米的北方领土和澳大利亚西部爆发的时代。茹尔当博士和他的团队都能够证明火山省发生在同一时间为早-中寒武世灭绝从 5 亿 1000 万年前 — — 第一次的绝灭，来擦出复杂的多细胞生命。"它已被证实气候变化和海洋，氧气耗竭有关这次大灭绝，根除物种的 50%，但造成这些变化的确切机制尚不清楚，直到现在，"博士朱丹说。"不只是我们能够证明 Kalkarindji 火山省布设在同一时间为寒武系的灭绝，却也能够测量消耗二氧化硫从省火山岩 — — 表明硫在火山爆发过程中被释放到大气中。"作为一个现代的比较，于 1991 年，小的皮纳图博火山爆发时空气中的二氧化硫产生放电下跌全球平均气温几个十分之一度为单位爆发后的几年。"如果相对较小的喷发，像皮纳图博会只是影响气候想像一个火山省面积相当于西澳大利亚州的大小能做些什么。小组然后相比与外省火山的火山省 Kalkarindji，表明所有的生物大灭绝的程序，最有可能是由排放二氧化硫，以及温室气体甲烷和二氧化碳的火山爆发引发的气候快速振荡。Dr 朱丹说:"我们计算近完美按时间顺序相关性大火山省爆发、 气候变化和大规模灭绝在生命的历史年间 5 亿 5000 万，与超过 200 亿，这种关系只是一个巧合，只有一次机会"。博士朱丹说快速振动的气候由火山爆发使得各种物种适应，最终导致其死亡。他还强调这项研究更好地了解我们当前的环境的重要性。"理解现代社会大气中的气体注入大量的长期气候和生物影响，我们必须认识到如何气候、 海洋生态系统受过去，"他说。

結果 (中文) 3:

发表在杂志上的地质，副教授弗莱德Jourdan科廷的应用地质学系，随着几个澳大利亚和国际机构的同事，用放射性测年技术精确测量年龄的kalkarindji火山喷发熔岩——省，覆盖超过2000000平方公里的北部地区和澳大利亚西部的一个地区。

乔丹博士和他的团队能够证明火山省发生的时间为早中寒武世灭绝一样从510-511百万年前——消灭复杂的多细胞生命的第一个灭绝。

”它已被很好的记录，这个灭绝，从而根除百分50的物种，是海洋中的气候贫氧相关变化，而引起这些变化的确切机制还不清楚，直到现在，“博士

Jourdan说。“我们不仅能够证明kalkarindji火山省被安放在同一时间为寒武纪灭绝，但也可以测量消耗二氧化硫从省的火山岩——这表明硫是在喷发释放到大气中。

”作为一个现代的比较，当小火山火山爆发1991，由此产生的排放的二氧化硫下降了零点几度几年后爆发的全球平均气温。

如果比较小的像火山喷发能影响气候，试想一个面积相当于西澳大利亚州的大小火山省能做的。”

然后比较kalkarindji火山和其他火山岩区和显示所有的大规模物种灭绝的最可能的过程是一个快速的振荡由火山喷发发射二氧化硫引发的气候，随着温室气体甲烷和二氧化碳。

“我们计算了附近的大火山喷发之间的时间相关性，完善省，气候变化和大规模物种灭绝在生命的历史在过去的550000000年中，只有一次机会20000000000以上，这种关系只是一个巧合，”乔丹说

博士。乔丹说博士的火山喷发产生的气候快速振荡使得各物种的适应困难，最终导致他们的灭亡。他还强调了这项研究的重要性，以更好地了解我们目前的环境。”，以了解在大气中的大量注射气体在大气中的长期气候和生物效应，我们需要认识到气候，海洋生态系统在过去的影响，”他说。