Volcanoes exhausted the oxygen of the seas

2008/10/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Kimika
• Geologia

Geologists from Alberta University of Canada have discovered the signs of a worldwide volcanic eruption. These volcanoes were responsible for the massive destruction of ocean species during the Upper Cretaceous, as they eliminated much of the water oxygen. The study of the osmium metal of sediments has discovered the footprint of volcanoes. The proportion of the two isotopes of the Osmium --osmium-187 and osmium-188-- is different in surface and mantle, making it a good way to continue volcanic activity in sediments. Osmium was found in the proportion of the mantle, both in Italy and South America, in the sediments of that time. Thus they discover that it was a global phenomenon.