The SAS proposals for participation in FP6 projects
are listed in blocks according to the FP6 priority theme structure



FP6 priority
1.1.6   Sustainable Development, Global Change and Ecosystems
1.6.3
Title of the proposal

Global changes and mass extinctions during the Permian-Triassic period: heritage for the present and future

Institute
Slovak Academy of Science, Institute of Geology
Dubravska 9, 842 26 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
www.geol.sav.sk
Contact
Name:
Igor BROSKA, RNDr., CSc., Jozef VOZAR, RNDr., DrSc.
Phone:
+421 2 54 77 39 61
E-mail:
geolbros@savba.sk

geoljovo@savba.sk


Research subject for a potential FP6 project

Many igneous events that occurred during the period from 285 to 230 Ma (the Permian and Triassic) at the global scale probably contributed to dramatic climatic changes from glacial age to the greenhouse. It is known that outpouring of large volumes of flood basalts and/or ignimbrites are prone to modify significantly the global climate and, therefore, the Permian mass extinctions (more than 90% species have disappeared at the very beginning of the Triassic) could be related to such volcanic activity. An alternative explanation is an extra large meteoritic impact, which could have caused the drastic climatic changes and biotic extinctions, similarly as the well-known impact at the Cretaceous and Tertiary boundary. Recent geochemical and mineralogical data on the Permian-Triassic boundary are open for the both theories.The project is aimed to solve the widespreading of the magmatic events during Permian and Triassic, their character, genesis and after-effects of the volcanic activity. The research will include the sedimentological, geochemical and mineralogical research as well as paleontological studies of the Permian and Triassic rocks from various localities and will result in the creation of magmato-tectonic and paleoclimatic models. The model of the breakdown of the Pangea supercontinent and the following beginning of the Alpine orogenesis will be recognised within the Alpine-Carpathian region. A possible scenario of the global changes due to the (i) hypothetical future huge volcanic activity or (ii) meteoritic impact will be drawn. The education programme will be part of the project.


Recent international cooperation of the research team

Universite de Paris-Sud, France, Salzburg University, Austria
Natural History Museum London, UK, Max-Planck Institute Mainz, Germany
GeoForschungZentrum Potsdam, Germany


Proposerīs relevant publications related to the research subject

Vozarova A., Vozar, J.: Late paleozoic in West Carpathians. GUDS Bratislava, 1-314.
Uher P., Broska I., 1996: Post-orogenic Permian rocks in the Western Carpathian-Panonian area: Geochemistry, mineralogy and evolution. Geol. Carpath. 47, 311-321.
Finger F., Broska I. 1999: The gemeric S-type granites in southeastern Slovakia: Late Palaeozoic or Alpine intrusion? Evidence from electron-microprobe dating of monazite. Schweiz. Mineral. Petrogr. Mitt. 79, 439-443.
Broska I., Uher P. 2001: Whole-rock chemistry and genetic typology of the West-Carpathian Variscan granites. Geol. Carpath. 52, 2, 79-90.
Poller U., Uher P., Broska I., Plasienka D., Janak, M., 2002: First Permian-Early Triassic zircon ages fro tin-beairng granites from thge Gemeric unit (Western Carpathians, Slovakia): connection to the post-collisional extension of the Variscan orogen and S-type granite magmatism. Terra Nova