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Earth system instability amplified biogeochemical oscillations following the end-Permian mass extinction

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  • Zi-Heng Li

    (China University of Geosciences
    University of Exeter)

  • Timothy M. Lenton

    (University of Exeter)

  • Fei-Fei Zhang

    (Nanjing University)

  • Zhong-Qiang Chen

    (China University of Geosciences)

  • Stuart J. Daines

    (University of Exeter)

Abstract

After the end-Permian mass extinction, the Earth system underwent extreme ecological and environmental fluctuations, including high temperatures, recurrent oceanic anoxia, and carbon cycle oscillations as demonstrated by the geochemical isotope proxy records. However, the underlying mechanism behind these oscillations remains poorly understood. Here we propose that they were produced by a coupled oscillation mode of marine phosphorus (P) and atmosphere–ocean carbon (A), driven by nonlinear redox controls on marine phosphorus burial. Our modeling demonstrates that the initial emplacement of the Siberian Traps and the mass extinction (on land and in the ocean) directly led to an early Triassic greenhouse. More importantly, it homogenized the ocean floor redox condition towards anoxia, activating amplifying feedbacks and destabilizing the system. The internal dynamics of an unstable system—rather than recurrent volcanic shocks—triggered the periodic oscillations (limit cycles) of serial excursions in carbonate carbon and uranium isotopes during the early Triassic.

Suggested Citation

  • Zi-Heng Li & Timothy M. Lenton & Fei-Fei Zhang & Zhong-Qiang Chen & Stuart J. Daines, 2025. "Earth system instability amplified biogeochemical oscillations following the end-Permian mass extinction," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-59038-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59038-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yuyang Wu & Daoliang Chu & Jinnan Tong & Haijun Song & Jacopo Dal Corso & Paul B. Wignall & Huyue Song & Yong Du & Ying Cui, 2021. "Six-fold increase of atmospheric pCO2 during the Permian–Triassic mass extinction," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-8, December.
    2. Shucheng Xie & Richard D. Pancost & Hongfu Yin & Hongmei Wang & Richard P. Evershed, 2005. "Two episodes of microbial change coupled with Permo/Triassic faunal mass extinction," Nature, Nature, vol. 434(7032), pages 494-497, March.
    3. S. D. Burgess & J. D. Muirhead & S. A. Bowring, 2017. "Initial pulse of Siberian Traps sills as the trigger of the end-Permian mass extinction," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-6, December.
    4. Christian J. Bjerrum & Donald E. Canfield, 2002. "Ocean productivity before about 1.9 Gyr ago limited by phosphorus adsorption onto iron oxides," Nature, Nature, vol. 417(6885), pages 159-162, May.
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