Mercury evidence for pulsed volcanism during the end-Triassic mass extinction

Significance The end of the Triassic Period (∼201.5 million years ago) witnessed one of the largest mass extinctions of animal life known from Earth history. This extinction is suggested to have coincided with and been caused by one of the largest known episodes of volcanic activity in Earth’s history. This study examines mercury concentrations of sediments from around the world that record this extinction. Mercury is emitted in gaseous form...