Collaborative Research: The Siberian Traps and the end-Permian Extinction: Coincidence and Causality

这个项目解决了地球演化中一个重要的、尚未解决的问题，即西伯利亚大火成岩省（LIP）的喷发是否导致了二叠纪-三叠纪的灭绝？实际上，这个提议的核心有两个问题；洪水玄武岩的成因是什么？洪水玄武岩是否会导致物种灭绝？几十年来，这些问题一直是人们积极研究的主题。这个项目的一个独特之处在于，一个国际专家团队同时处理这两个问题，他们的目标是深入了解这个LIP，从它的起源到对地球系统的短期和长期影响。pi将使用大量的技术：地球化学、地温测量、古地磁、地震学、地球动力学、古生物学和气候模型来实现他们的目标。具体来说，pi将：为整个火山演替建立高精度的喷发时间尺度，从而获得通量率；量化火成岩的挥发性负荷，包括熔岩、侵入岩，特别是体积庞大的凝灰岩；量化乡村岩石挥发性释放；利用现有地震资料和地球动力学建模，开始绘制该区域下方的地壳和上地幔结构图；研究硫注入对气候的影响和大气中二氧化碳的积累；并利用古生物学、稳定同位素地球化学和地质年代学，继续详细研究二叠纪末的灭绝。更广泛的影响：PI团队由来自7个不同国家的科学家组成。将为在此项目下获得的样本创建一个中央存储库。信息将保存在网络上，材料将提供给其他科学家。一名与国家地理公司有联系的纪录片制片人将在现场与pi一起收集有关该项目的影片素材。额外的保险将通过美国自然历史博物馆提供。在美国国家卫生研究院播放的有关当前研究的短片，并分发给世界各地的40多个科学中心和博物馆。

This project address an important, and unresolved question in Earth evolution, i.e. did the eruption of the Siberian Large Igneous Province (LIP) a.k.a. Siberian Traps cause the Permo-Triassic extinction? In reality there are two questions at the heart of this proposal; what causes flood basalts and do flood basalts cause extinctions? These questions have been the subject of active research for several decades. One of the unique aspects of this project is that both are addressed simultaneously by an international team of experts whose goal is to gain an in-depth understanding of this LIP from its origin to both short-and long-term effects on Earth systems. The PIs will use a large suite of techniques: geochemistry, geothermometry, paleomagnetics, seismology, geodynamics, paleontology, and climate modeling to achieve their goal. Specifically, the PIs will: create high-precision eruption time scales for the entire volcanic succession, thus obtaining flux rates; quantify the volatile loads of the igneous rocks including lavas, intrusives, and in particular the voluminous tuffs; quantify volatile release from country rocks; begin to map the crustal and upper-mantle structure beneath the region using existing seismic data and geodynamical modeling; study the climatic consequences of sulfur injection and buildup of atmospheric carbon dioxide; and continue detailed studies of the end-Permian extinction, using paleontology, stable isotope geochemistry, and geochronology. Broader Impacts: The PI team consists of scientists from 7 different countries. A central repository will be created for samples obtained under this project. Information will be maintained on the web and material made available to other scientists. A documentary film producer associated with the National Geographic Corporation will be in the field with the PIs gathering footage for a film about the project. Additional coverage is will be provided through the American Museum of Natural History?s Science Bulletins, short films about current research that are shown at the AMNH and distributed to over 40 science centers and museums around the world.