A CAMBRIAN LIP · The magnitude and effect of a Cambrian large igneous province in Australia: a link between volcanism and mass extinction?
6РП — Действия „Мария Кюри“
- Период
- 2005-03-31 → 2007-12-30
- Финансиране от ЕС
- 198 529 €
- Участници
- 2
- Схема
- OIF
Линиите свързват координатора с партньорите.
Накратко на български
Мащабите на вулканичните изригвания в Австралия преди 510 милиона години се анализират чрез размерите на лавните полета и газовете в скалите. Това помага да се разбере как огромните количества парни газове и сяра могат да доведат до масово измиране на живот.
Кратко обяснение, генерирано от езиков модел по текста на CORDIS. Оригиналът е по-долу.
Резултати накратко
Final Activity Report Summary - A CAMBRIAN LIP (The magnitude and effect of a Cambrian large igneous province in Australia: a link between volcanism and mass extinction?)
This project concerned the possible link between a Cambrian mass extinction and an episode of massive volcanism. When the huge volcanic eruptions occurred, gases and particles were injected into the atmosphere with potentially devastating effects for the life forms that were then present on Earth. The volcanism studied here coincided with a mass extinction, which occurred around 510 million years ago. This type of massive volcanism occurred several times during the history of Earth, many times coinciding with dramatic environmental change. These types of eruptions formed vast landscapes made up of basaltic lava called large igneous provinces (LIPs). Here, the Cambrian Kalkarindji LIP in Australia was investigated. One part of the project concerned revising the extent of this LIP in order to better estimate the size of the eruptions. This research resulted in a much larger size estimate for the Kalkarindji LIP, which was therefore defined to cover an area ten times the size of Great Britain. Another part of the project dealt with the mixing of gases that erupted into the atmosphere. During magma evolution and eruption fluids and gases, e.g. carbon dioxide, are exsolved and transported to the atmosphere, where they affect climate. This project showed that one of the environmental effects of the Kalkarindji eruptions was global marine anoxia, i.e. low oxygen levels, possibly caused by global warming from the release of vast amounts of green house gases. One way of estimating the amount of volatiles released during the eruptions was to look at tiny bubbles of solidified magma (glass) in crystals in the volcanic rocks that were formed during the eruptions. The results of the studies indicated huge amounts of sulphur injected into the atmosphere during one eruptive event. Another line of research involved determining what type of eruptions occurred, since highly explosive eruptions had the capabilities of injecting gases, ashes and aerosols into the stratosphere, where the they might affect climate more dramatically than in the troposphere. One of the results of this project was that important explosive eruptions occurred towards the end of the Kalkarindji volcanic activity.
Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз
Цел на проекта
A vast continental flood basalt province (the Kalkarindji CFBP) has recently been discovered in northern Australia. The basalts of this Large Igneous Province (LIP) formed at ~510 Ma, close in time to the late Early Cambrian mass extinction. This discovery prompts further investigation. The main objective of the proposed study is to estimate the magnitude and effect of the Kalkarindji CFBP. In order to estimate the magnitude of the eruptions, the full extent of the Kalkarindji CFBP needs to be established. The extensive Table Hill Volcanics (THV), geochemically similar to the Kalkarindji basalts, may be part of the province. To test this hypothesis, the THV will be dated with the Ar/Ar method. It has been suggested that the amounts of volatiles released during the eruption of a LIP could cause climate change. Thus, by investigating the volatile content of the original magma the effect of the Kalkarindji eruption can be estimated. These investigations require careful fieldwork and studies of fluid and melt inclusions. During the outgoing phase of the proposed project, the researcher will be trained by experts in several techniques in order to develop new technical skills. These skills, particularly those related to fluid inclusion studies, will be essential for the melt inclusion studies planned for the return phase. The researcher will benefit greatly from the knowledge and skills gained during the fellowship, resulting in increased chances for securing longer term positions and future funding in the EU. Collab orations established during the fellowship will likely continue in the future, which will be beneficial for both the researcher and the host organisations. The proposed project is multidisciplinary, involving geochemistry, volcanology, paleontology and climatology. This will provide many possible career paths for the researcher. The current proposal addresses questions related to global warming and the greenhouse effect, important issues in European research.
Оригинален текст от CORDIS (на английски).
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Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз