Killer algae wiped dinosaurs, may wipe humans, study suggests
Published: 20 October, 2009, 15:15
Edited: 25 September, 2010, 00:39
TAGS: Ecology, SciTech, Biology
The mass extinctions in Earth’s history may have been caused by the rapid growth of toxic algae, scientists believe. The modern environment favors such a deadly event.
There have been five major die-offs, in which thousands of species were wiped out from the planet. Paleontologists still argue over the possible causes, with meteorite impacts, super volcano eruptions, changes of sea level and other catastrophic events named as possible culprits.
James Castle and John Rodgers of Clemson University put the blame on microscopic algae, which produce toxins and consume oxygen. In their work, presented at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Portland, the scientists reported their findings of spikes in the number of algae fossils – stromatolite structures – coinciding with mass extinctions of the past.
Events like cosmic impacts may have not directly killed plants and animals, the theory goes, but the nutrient-rich fallout would trigger the rapid growth of algae. Their population exploded, and they released large amounts of toxins which other species had no way to deal with.
Castle warns that a similar scenario could repeat:
"Algae growth is favored by warmer temperatures. You get accelerated metabolism and reproduction of these organisms, and the effect appears to be enhanced for species of toxin-producing cyanobacteria."
Presently the population of toxic algae is slowly increasing and expanding. It already poses a danger to fish and other water wildlife, and can be dangerous for humans as the algae invade reservoirs of drinking water.
20.10.2009, 11:41
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(II/II Cont'd)The loose dusty debris may be ejected as sediment and partly dissolve, or consolidate back in the boundary as mortar-form, but the massive plate friction heat distribution will slowly diffuse through the geolithic strata, aided by seepage through the fracture lines and changed hydrodynamic flows and take weeks to months to dissipate into the water above, influencing water plume/stream temperatures as well as causing convective/density dependent shifts. The energy dissipation from the plate shift could not be estimable for the water impulsion alone that generated the sunami, and a huge component existed to developed stored heat in the geo strata for progressive diffusive release, equivalent to magnitudes of H-Bombs ever experience. Therefore, the current warming and shift observation may be explainable just by frictional and deformation mechanics, let alone to changes in volcan-hydrothermal-smoker-seafloor diffusion activity that may have changed with this. Again, all mankinds history of input summated is dwarfed by this one natural occurrence and all the submariner thermonuclear device detonations in prior testing has yet to approach such effect even noticeable on such a grand oceanic current effect. Respect is meritted and industrialization once again must kowtow in homage. Is it surprising?- when a single Class V Tornado, let alone a hurricaine overwhelms any cummulative force man can display. We are small and insignificant the the Earth's natural processes, and rather than learn to counter the forces, we would be better to learn to maneuver and respond, and keep an eye out for the rough ride.Surf's up! Man-made Global Warming proponents and stock holders. Buy gold!
The temperature rise in the trans Pacific current to Canada/NW America can be explained by both the mechanical distibuted force shift of the massive plate edge elevation/drop and the thermogenic release from the huge frictional occurance and pulverization at the margin. Just as the avalanche of snow or rock/soil landslide travels at faster than predicted rates, so does the plate fracture line, inducing the sunami. The friction produced at the rubble boundary, augmented by the crush/crumbling of loose material generates exponential frictional surface increases and, thus heat generation magnification of enormous and rapid confined release to vaporize water content and possibly mineral content, along with building static charge forces that convert the boundary to a composite gas/liquid/solid state making the shifting mass a virtual hovercraft in effect. The repulsion forces as well as frivctional decrease allows the faster than calculable transit of the avalanche, landslide or plate fracture uplift, and nothing is seen of the phase change of gas/liquid vs solid since the confined space, upon ceasing to move, immediately redistributes the heat and the boundary debris that lubricates its motion refreezes or resolidifies or consolidates. Thus, the avalanche becomes as solid as ice around a victim, the landslide base becomes a dense soil/rock composit(compared to ites surface) In the case of the submariner shift, some gases may escape, but instantly cool and dissolve in he water. (cont'd)I/II
@Sarah: While algae aren't exactly helping, the permafrost melting isn't all natural I'm sorry to say. And as for pole shifting? As they say in the Bronx and Queens, 'Fuggedabouddit.' As in, even if it did happen, it won't be the end all, be all.......not to mention that a nuclear winter would have NOTHING to do with a pole shift anyway.{In fact the worst thing that might happen is a somewhat fidgety climate for about 5-10 years. After that, we could very well see summer in January and winter in July! Or something like that}