A hidden process deep beneath Earth’s surface may have played a powerful role in some of the most dramatic climate swings in history. New research from Florida State University suggests that gases released from heated underground rocks helped drive the environmental chaos linked to ancient mass extinctions. For decades, scientists have pointed to volcanic eruptions as the main cause of these global crises. Massive eruptions released gases that altered the atmosphere and disrupted ecosystems. But the new study, published in Science Advances, shows that another process worked alongside volcanoes, quietly amplifying their impact. “Evidence shows that the process that wipes out species is a climate swing, or an oscillation back and forth between hot and cold climates,” said Emily Stewart, assistant professor of geology. “We found another process that contributes to these events: metamorphism.” A Hidden Source Of Climate-Altering Gases The process begins far below the surface, where heat from rising magma transforms surrounding rock. This transformation, known as metamorphism, changes the structure and chemistry of the rock. LIPs and shale basins. (CREDIT: Science Advances) …