250 million years ago a plume of molten basalt gushed up from the earth's core. It erupted in an area now known as the Siberian Traps - back then it was part of the supercontinent Pangaea.
A curtain of lava a mile high and hundreds of miles long lit up the sky. The eruption known as a "flood basalt" went on for more than 900,000 years. The total amount of lava ejected over that period would have been enough to cover the entire globe to a depth of 20 feet.
Dust and ash filled the sky blocking out the sun and leading to a volcanic winter. Then as the sky cleared the earth was wrapped by vast quantities of carbon dioxide given off by the burning lava, creating a greenhouse effect. The earth's temperature rose by 5 degrees celsius.
Over the first 40,000 years many land species became extinct.
Next the oceans began to warm up leading to the extinctions of 96% of marine life over less than 10,000 years.
Then came the third phase when methane began to be released from below the ocean adding to the greenhouse effect and lifting the global temperature by a further 5 degrees over the next 40,000 years. What was left of the planet turned to arid desert killing of most the remaining flora and fauna.
Every living thing on earth today is descended from the 4% that survived.
Known as the Permian extinction or sometimes as "The Great Dying" it was one of five mass extinctions in life's turbulent history.
From the perspective of evolution these events are simply part of the story of life's battle for survival. For creationists they pose an impossible dilemma.
Evolution is a Fact 1 - 30 Index...
#31 Ten Questions For Creationists ...
The basic facts about reality covered so far pose an impossible challenge to creationism.
#32 Sexual Selection
How female mating preferences led to some of the most remarkable features of living things.
#33 A Tale About Tails
Human embryology reveals our primate history.
#34 Hiccups and Tadpoles
How hiccups are a relic of our amphibian ancestors.
#35 Nature Red in Tooth and Claw
Nature's ability to inflict pain and suffering in the battle for survival.