Methane Thought To Be Responsible For Mass Extinction

ScienceDaily ^ | 28 August 2003 | Gregory Ryskin

[PatrickHenry]

What caused the worst mass extinction in Earth's history 251 million years ago? An asteroid or comet colliding with Earth? A greenhouse effect? Volcanic eruptions in Siberia? Or an entirely different culprit? A Northwestern University chemical engineer believes the culprit may be an enormous explosion of methane (natural gas) erupting from the ocean depths.

In an article published in the September issue of Geology, Gregory Ryskin, associate professor of chemical engineering, suggests that huge combustible clouds produced by methane gas trapped in stagnant bodies of water and suddenly released could have killed off the majority of marine life and land animals and plants at the end of the Permian era -- long before dinosaurs lived and died.

The mechanism also might explain other extinctions and climate perturbations (ice ages) and even the Biblical flood, as well as be the cause of future catastrophes.

Ryskin calculated that some 10,000 gigatons of dissolved methane could have accumulated in water near the ocean floor under high pressure. If released quickly, perhaps triggered by an earthquake, the resulting cloud of methane would have an explosive force about 10,000 times greater than the world's entire stockpile of nuclear weapons. The huge conflagrations plus flooding and overturned oceans would cause the extinctions. (Approximately 95 percent of marine species and 70 percent of land species were lost.)

"That amount of energy is absolutely staggering," said Ryskin. "As soon as one accepts this mechanism, it becomes clear that if it happened once it could happen again. I have little doubt there will be another methane-driven eruption -- though not on the same scale as 251 million years ago -- unless humans intervene."

[RebelBanker]

I thought this was going to have something to do with the Taco Bell poll in California...

[HalfFull]

Already posted HERE .

[HalfFull]

And only 251 million years later...

[George Smiley]

Aha! Neologism time!

DINOFLATULENCE.

[LiteKeeper]

INTREP - skeptical YEC'ist

[PatrickHenry]

Already posted HERE .

Darn. I searched on "extinction" and "methane." The indexing around here must be slow.

Moderator, I suggest you lock this thread. It's a duplicate.

[Joe Marine 76]

Oh Oh!

Does this mean that beer will be outlawed?....As the fellow once said: "I'd rather have a bottle infront of me, than a frontal lobotomy."

[Aric2000]

I read this article, and just about died laughing.

Yes, my mind works in terrible and awful ways when it comes to things like this.

I had a friend in the Army who used to light them, until he lit his hair on fire, yes, the man was hairy as I'll get out.

Had to go to the medic and explain what he had been doing, it was hilarious!!

Watching him walk around for the next few days was just as hilarious.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Flatulence Kills

Yeah it does, according to this urban legend (circa 1993)

A terrible diet and room with no ventilation are being blamed for the death of a man killed by his own gas. There were no marks found on his body, but an autopsy revealed the presence of large amounts of methane dissolved in his blood.

His diet had consisted primarily of beans and cabbage, just the right combination of foods to produce a severe gas attack. It appears that the man died in his sleep from breathing the poisonous cloud that was hanging over his bed.

Had his windows been open, the flatulence wouldn't have been fatal, but the man was shut up in a nearly airtight bedroom. He was an obese man with an unlimited capacity for creating the deadly gas. Three rescuers became sick and one was hospitalized.

[TexasRepublic]

It looks like any thread with "methane" in the title will draw posts as fast as one with "moose" or "cheese."

And knowing this, you purposely threw (methane) fuel on the fire!

[Aric2000]

Now THAT is disgusting....

[TexasRepublic]

It looks like any thread with "methane" in the title will draw posts as fast as one with "moose" or "cheese."

And knowing this, you purposely threw (methane) fuel on the fire!

[sheik yerbouty]

Good thing he wasn't smoking!

[DittoJed2]

Looks like this stuff is a Weapon of Mass Destruction.

SCIENTIST SAYS DINOSAUR FLATULENCE MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO  ³
³GLOBAL WARMING                                              ³
³                                                            ³
³SAN DIEGO (OCT. 23) UPI - Dinosaur flatulence may have      ³
³contributed to global warming millions of years ago, an     ³
³Indiana University scientist says.                          ³
³                                                            ³
³Simon Brassell, a geochemist who has studied fossilized     ³
³dinosaur droppings, presented a paper at the annual meeting ³
³of the Geological Society of America advancing his theory.  ³
³                                                            ³
³He said the fossilized dung included evidence of prehistoric³
³bacteria that could have resulted from the fermentation of  ³
³plant stems and leaves. Such fermentation produces methane  ³
³gas, one of the ''greenhouse gases'' that trap heat in the  ³
³Earth's atmosphere.                                         ³
³                                                            ³
³He said scientists have disputed for years the nature of    ³
³dinosaur digestion, many speculating that fermentation was  ³
³involved - as it is in the digestive systems of elephants   ³
³and other large mammals - but had been unable to prove it.  ³
³                                                            ³
³Brassell and his associates found that proof, he said. 

[Chad Fairbanks]

Now THAT is disgusting....

Dont blame ME, I dont make up the Urban Legends... ;0)

[Chad Fairbanks]

Good thing he wasn't smoking!

BOOM!

[BlackbirdSST]

What? Did somebody light a match? Blackbird.

[Verginius Rufus]

251 million years ago is before there were any dinosaurs. Methane must have been from cows.

[goodseedhomeschool (returned)]

A global flood could also cause a mass extinction. Maybe not so long ago. I guess the gas theory is as good as any theory that would try to find a reason other than biblical.

[goodseedhomeschool (returned)]

LOL great one.