My senior thesis research focused on assessing the relationship between the formation of the Siberian Flood Basalts and the Permian Triassic extinction. We analyzed samples from across the globe using ICP-MS for paleoredox relevant elements and Ni, a Siberian Flood Basalt indicator. We have published two papers based on this research. The Permian – Triassic extinction (252 million years ago) is the largest mass extinction know to date, yet its cause is still debated among scientists. Theories range from ocean acidification to extraterrestrial impact. One theory suggests the formation of the Siberian Flood Basalts was the main driver of the extinction.

My undergraduate thesis explored the relationship between the Siberian Flood Basalts and the Permian – Triassic extinction and evaluated the impact of potential methanogen proliferation during that time. Using laser ablation and solution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, I analyzed Ni and paleoredox proxies across the P-T boundary from India, Japan (the GSSP), and Hungary. We revealed a Ni anomaly at or before each P-T boundary. Paleoredox proxies (U/Th, V/Cr, Ni/Co and V/(V+Ni)) indicated that after Siberian flood volcanism, there was a brief increase and then decrease in oceanic O2. From this data, we postulated that methanogens contributed to the extinction’s extended recovery period rather than exacerbating the extinction during its peak, as previously proposed. The development of δ60/58Ni as a methanogen biomarker would further constrain the role of methanogens and their proliferation during the Permian – Triassic extinction. These analyses further strengthen the relationship between the Siberian Traps and the Permian – Triassic extinction. However, because of the limited number of samples available, more analyses need to be performed for a higher resolution image of the boundary’s geochemical history