Australia’s Volcanoes Led To First Mass Extinction 510 Million Years Ago

A researcher has found that Australia’s volcanic eruptions, which occurred more than 510 million years ago, were the reason behind the climate change that caused first known mass extinction about 510 million years ago.

Fred Jourdan, from the department of applied geology, used the radioactive dating techniques to measure the age of the eruptions of the Kalkarindji volcanic province.

The study was able to measure a depletion of sulphur dioxide from the volcanic rocks, which indicates sulphur was released into the atmosphere during the eruptions. The study was published in the journal Geology.