Clathrate gun hypothesis Extinction event
clathrates composites in lattice of 1 substance forms cage around another. methane clathrates (in water molecules cage) form on continental shelves. these clathrates break rapidly , release methane if temperature rises or pressure on them drops quickly—for example in response sudden global warming or sudden drop in sea level or earthquakes. methane more powerful greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, methane eruption ( clathrate gun ) cause rapid global warming or make more severe if eruption caused global warming.
the signature of such methane eruption sudden decrease in ratio of carbon-13 carbon-12 in sediments, since methane clathrates low in carbon-13; change have large, other events can reduce percentage of carbon-13.
it has been suggested clathrate gun methane eruptions involved in end-permian extinction ( great dying ) , in paleocene–eocene thermal maximum, associated 1 of smaller mass extinctions.
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