[Paper Review] Anoxia duirng the Late Permian Binary Mass Extinction and Dark Matter

Samar Abbas, Afsar Abbas+1 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|May 26, 1998

Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils7 references3 citations

TL;DR

This paper proposes that dark matter interactions with Earth's core triggered volcanic outgassing during the Late Permian, driving anoxia and the binary mass extinction—first at the end-Guadalupian (260 Ma), then the end-Permian (253 Ma). The model explains both the dual extinction pulses and widespread anoxia through a single mechanism: dark matter-induced geothermal heating from WIMP annihilation in Earth's mantle.

ABSTRACT

Recent evidence quite convincingly indicates that the Late Permian biotic crisis was in fact a binary extinction with a distinct end-Guadalupian extinction pulse preceding the major terminal end-Permian Tartarian event by 5 million years. In addition anoxia appears to be closely associated with each of these end-Paleozoic binary extinctions. Most leading models cannot explain both anoxia and the binary characteristic of this crisis. In this paper we show that the recently proposed volcanogenic dark matter scenario succeeds in doing this.

Motivation & Objective

• Explain the dual extinction pulses in the Late Permian, specifically the end-Guadalupian and end-Permian events.
• Address the persistent association of anoxia with both extinction pulses, a feature not explained by conventional models.
• Integrate the binary extinction pattern and anoxia into a single causal framework using a novel astrophysical mechanism.
• Test the viability of the volcanogenic dark matter scenario as an explanation for the observed geochemical and paleontological data.

Proposed method

• Adapt the recently proposed volcanogenic dark matter scenario, where weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) accumulate in Earth's core.
• Model the energy release from WIMP annihilation in the Earth's mantle, leading to enhanced geothermal flux.
• Simulate volcanic outgassing of CO2 and other gases due to increased mantle convection and melting.
• Link the resulting atmospheric and oceanic anoxia to observed fossil and sedimentary records from the Late Permian.
• Use the timing of peak WIMP-induced heating to align with the 5-million-year gap between the two extinction pulses.
• Compare predicted anoxia levels and extinction patterns with geological evidence from the Guadalupian and Permian-Triassic boundary layers.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can the volcanogenic dark matter scenario explain the dual extinction pulses observed in the Late Permian?
• RQ2 Does the model account for the widespread anoxia recorded in marine sediment layers during both extinction events?
• RQ3 Is the 5-million-year interval between the two extinction pulses consistent with the timescale of WIMP accumulation and annihilation in Earth's core?
• RQ4 How does WIMP-induced geothermal heating compare to conventional volcanic or tectonic drivers in terms of energy output and duration?
• RQ5 Can the model reproduce the observed geochemical signatures of anoxia and carbon isotope excursions in the geological record?

Key findings

• The dark matter scenario successfully explains both the binary nature of the Late Permian extinction and the associated anoxia.
• The model predicts a 5-million-year interval between extinction pulses, matching the geological record of the end-Guadalupian and end-Permian events.
• Anoxia is driven by WIMP-induced volcanic outgassing, releasing CO2 and other gases that led to ocean deoxygenation.
• The energy from WIMP annihilation in Earth's core provides a sustained heat source capable of triggering prolonged volcanic activity.
• The timing of peak heating aligns with the onset of the end-Permian extinction, supporting the causal link.
• The model offers a unified explanation for both extinction pulses and anoxia, overcoming limitations of existing volcanism-only or impact-only models.