Non-archaeology, but interesting Big bangs theory blames lava fields for mass extinctions
Vast sheets of prehistoric lava that oozed across the land millions of years ago were probably caused by meteorites slamming into the Earth's crust, scientists say.
The lava sheets, 10 of which have been discovered around the world, coincide with mass extinctions, suggesting the huge volumes of magma caused global changes in climate that made Earth inhospitable to all but the hardiest species.
The largest lies in Siberia, is roughly the size of Thailand and dates back 252 million years. "We think lava poured on to Siberia for between 100,000 and one million years, leaving the surface covered with four million cubic kilometres of lava," said Linda Elkins-Tanton, a geologist at Brown University, Rhode Island.
We don't have a lot to contribute here. We've seen this particular theory thrown around before, but we think this is the first time it's been linked to meteorite impacts.