Geologists from the University of Maryland and George Mason University found in traces of sediments associated with
Researchers studied samples of black shale fromBucken Formation in the USA and Canada. This region was formed in the Late Devonian. As the continents were submerged during this era, various sediments, including black shales, gradually accumulated in the inland seas that formed in the geological depressions.
When analyzing the sediments, the researchers foundtraces of several periods associated with a decrease in the proportion of oxygen in water and an increase in the amount of hydrogen sulfide, coinciding with periods of mass extinction.
Geologists believe that in this era, due to warmingmelting of the polar glaciers and rising sea levels. This led to the flooding of the interior of the continents. As a result, nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen entered the water, causing algal blooms and depriving the water of oxygen.
The resulting dead zones, in turn,increased levels of toxic hydrogen sulfide exactly where most marine life lived, resulting in the death of both ocean-dwelling creatures and some land-dwellers around the coastline.
Researchers note that the globalwarming associated with anthropogenic influence can have the same consequences. Increased emissions lead to global warming and could lead to glacier melt and sea level rise. An analysis of the mass extinction will help assess the risks and take measures to prevent dangerous scenarios in the future, the scientists conclude.
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