physics

Permian–Triassic extinction event

Permian–Triassic extinction event is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Permian–Triassic extinction event rather than just read about it. In short: The Permian–Triassic extinction event, colloquially known as the Great Dying, was an extinction event that occurred around the boundary between the Permian and Triassic geologic periods, and with them the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras. It is Earth's most severe known extinction event, with the extinction of 57% of biological families, 62% of genera, 81% of marine species, and 70% of terrestrial vertebrate species.

Key takeaways

Permian–Triassic extinction event belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Permian–Triassic extinction event to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Permian–Triassic extinction event from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Permian–Triassic extinction event, colloquially known as the Great Dying, was an extinction event that occurred around the boundary between the Permian and Triassic geologic periods, and with them the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras. It is Earth's most severe known extinction event, with the extinction of 57% of biological families, 62% of genera, 81% of marine species, and 70% of terrestrial vertebrate species. It is also the greatest known mass extinction of insects. It is the greatest of the "Big Five" mass extinctions of the Phanerozoic. There is evidence for one to three distinct pulses, or phases, of extinction, with the major pulse of marine extinction occurring in a 60,000-100,000 year interval around 251.902 million years ago (mya) marking the boundary between the Permian and Triassic periods. There is some controversy regarding the chronology of the extinctions on land and whether they are synchronous with the main marine extinction event. The scientific consensus is that the main cause of the extinction was the flood basalt eruptions that created the Siberian Traps, which released sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide, resulting in euxinia (oxygen-starved, sulfurous oceans), elevated global temperatures, and acidified oceans. The level of atmospheric carbon dioxide rose from around 400 ppm to 2,500 ppm with approximately 3,900 to 12,000 gigatonnes of carbon being added to the ocean-atmosphere system during this period. Several other contributing factors have been proposed, including the emission of carbon dioxide from the burning of oil and coal deposits ignited by the eruptions; emissions of methane from the gasification of methane clathrates; emissions of methane by novel methanogenic microorganisms nourished by minerals dispersed in the eruptions; longer and more intense El Niño events; and an extraterrestrial impact that created the Araguainha crater and caused seismic release of methane and the destruction of the ozone layer with increased exposure to solar radiation.

Dating

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Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Permian–Triassic extinction event

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Permian–Triassic extinction event claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Permian–Triassic extinction event before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Permian–Triassic extinction event ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Permian–Triassic extinction event

In research: Permian–Triassic extinction event appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Permian–Triassic extinction event in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Permian–Triassic extinction event is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Anoxic events, Early Triassic extinctions, Events that forced the climate, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Permian–Triassic extinction event outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Permian–Triassic extinction event in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Permian–Triassic extinction event means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Permian–Triassic extinction event out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Permian–Triassic extinction event in simple terms?

Why does Permian–Triassic extinction event matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Permian–Triassic extinction event?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Permian–Triassic extinction event.