Siberian Traps

The largest lava flow in the history of the earth, referred to as the Siberian Traps, is believed to have occurred approximately 251 million years ago. This huge lava flow lasted for nearly 1 million years and covered an area as large as the continental United States. The dark basalt lava layer reached depths of thousands of feet. This event is believed to be the primary reason for the greatest mass extinction in the earth’s history. 90% of all species became extinct during this period know as the Permian-Triassic extinction. Several factors would have contributed to this mass extinction. It would not simply be a matter of the earth’s surface being covered by lava and ash. Volcanic gases and dust would have adversely affected atmospheric conditions impacting weather and climate. Also the oxygen levels in the oceans would have been depleted causing anoxic conditions. There is strong evidence to support the idea that the Siberian Traps caused a mass extinction. In recent history the super volcano eruption of Toba caldera on Sumatra Indonesia 74,000 years ago almost wiped out humanity. The rich Siberian coal fields were formed during this time.