Abstract
Mass extinctions and oceanic anoxia are some of the most profound events that have shaped our biosphere over the past 500 million years. The vast majority of them are caused by rapid voluminous eruptions – large igneous provinces. Yet, bigger does not always equal more deadly. Here I’ll show you some pilot studies that hint that the primary driver for environmental crises is the flux of volatiles, especially carbon dioxide. Whether these hints hold true for all large igneous province-affected environmental crises is the focus of an ARC DECRA project that will commence at the end of 2023.
Biography
Hugo Olierook is a Research Fellow at the John de Laeter Centre and School of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Curtin University. His primary focus is designing, executing and managing geochronology and geochemistry projects for the mining and mineral exploration industry. He has recently received an Australian Research Council-funded DECRA project to complement his industry-focussed management. Hugo has a broad expertise in tectonics, mineral systems, geochronology, isotope geochemistry and basin analysis. When not advancing science, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing and watching sports, and board games.
