Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 16 views

    Unit 6 L1T4

    Uploaded by

    Micaela Delgado Mateo
    The document discusses an interview with geologist Dr Ellen Redding about the Great Dying, the greatest mass extinction in Earth's history that occurred 250 million years ago, wiping out 96% of marine species and 70% of land species. Dr Redding explains that it was likely triggered by massive volcanic eruptions in Siberia that lasted 60,000 years, emitting lava, toxic particles, and greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, raising global temperatures catastrophically.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Unit 6 L1T4

    Uploaded by

    Micaela Delgado Mateo
    16 views1 page
    The document discusses an interview with geologist Dr Ellen Redding about the Great Dying, the greatest mass extinction in Earth's history that occurred 250 million years ago, wiping out 96% of marine species and 70% of land species. Dr Redding explains that it was likely triggered by massive volcanic eruptions in Siberia that lasted 60,000 years, emitting lava, toxic particles, and greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, raising global temperatures catastrophically.

    Original Title

    UNIT 6 L1T4

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The document discusses an interview with geologist Dr Ellen Redding about the Great Dying, the greatest mass extinction in Earth's history that occurred 250 million years ago, wiping out 96% of marine species and 70% of land species. Dr Redding explains that it was likely triggered by massive volcanic eruptions in Siberia that lasted 60,000 years, emitting lava, toxic particles, and greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, raising global temperatures catastrophically.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    16 views1 page

    Unit 6 L1T4

    Uploaded by

    Micaela Delgado Mateo
    The document discusses an interview with geologist Dr Ellen Redding about the Great Dying, the greatest mass extinction in Earth's history that occurred 250 million years ago, wiping out 96% of marine species and 70% of land species. Dr Redding explains that it was likely triggered by massive volcanic eruptions in Siberia that lasted 60,000 years, emitting lava, toxic particles, and greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, raising global temperatures catastrophically.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 1

    Tests Oral Comprehension Scripts

    UNIT 6 Test

    Part 1 1
    14

    George: Today we’re interviewing geologist Dr Ellen Redding. She’s an expert on the greatest catastrophe in the
    history of the Earth – a disaster that occurred 250 million years ago. What exactly happened back then,
    Dr Redding?
    Dr Redding: At the time, the Earth was full of life, George. There were all sorts of trees and plants, coral reefs, marine
    life ... and plenty of reptiles, birds and insects that we wouldn’t recognise today. Then something came
    along, and wiped out almost all life forms. About 96% of marine species and 70% of land species
    disappeared.
    George: Is this when the dinosaurs were wiped out as well?
    Dr Redding: Mass extinctions always make people think of dinosaurs, but that happened much later – “only” 65 million
    years ago – and put an end to only 50% of the world’s species! The extinction I’m discussing occurred
    nearly 200 million years before that. It’s called the Great Dying, and for good reason – life on Earth very
    nearly came to an end.
    George: Dr Redding, I’m wondering – how can you know anything at all about what happened so many millions of
    years ago?
    Dr Redding: The most important tool we have is fossils, bodies of animals that have turned to rock. Fossils are like
    a book that helps us “read” what life there was millions of years ago. Below a certain height in the rock, we
    see signs of a world full of life. Just above that point, signs of life almost disappear.
    George: Amazing. What could have caused the Great Dying?
    Dr Redding: Well, over the years there have been lots of theories about why it happened. Many scientists once thought
    that it was a huge asteroid from outer space, like the one that killed the dinosaurs, but we don’t accept that
    idea any more. Now most of us agree that it began with a massive volcanic eruption in the area that is now
    Siberia.

    Part 2 1
    15

    George: A volcano can be very destructive, but how could it destroy all life on Earth?
    Dr Redding: Well, what if the eruption lasted 60,000 years? And how about if it came not from one mountain, but from
    a gigantic opening in the Earth the size of Western Europe? By the time it ended, the lava from this Siberian
    volcano had covered an area as big as the entire United States.
    George: That’s incredible. So were all those forms of life killed by the lava?
    Dr Redding: No, there were lots of other deadly factors beyond the lava. The volcanoes shot out toxic particles which
    blocked the sunlight for years. Gases such as carbon dioxide trapped the heat from the fires, which raised
    the temperature on Earth by 10 degrees – a total ecological catastrophe.
    George: Dr Redding, all this sounds very familiar.
    Dr Redding: For good reason! Just like then, we’ve got climate change brought about by having too much carbon dioxide
    in the air. The Earth is one degree warmer than it was a century ago. Except this time, it’s not coming from
    Siberian volcanoes, but from human beings. It’s a frightening thought that the results of global warming
    could be similar to the Great Dying, unless people take action!
    George: That is very frightening! On the positive side, I understand that some species survived the Great Dying.
    Dr Redding: Absolutely, and they did well. Within a few million years after the Great Dying, Earth had a bigger variety
    of living things than ever before. The dinosaurs came from one species that survived the Great Dying.
    Another survivor was a strange-looking animal called the cynodont, and that’s lucky for us, because
    without them, we wouldn’t be here right now. All modern mammals came from the cynodonts – and that
    includes dogs, cats, cows – and us!
    George: So the Great Dying was actually what made room for people. Let’s just hope that people don’t cause
    another one! Dr Redding, I’d like to thank you for joining us in the studio today.

    You might also like

    pFad - Phonifier reborn

    Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

    Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


    Alternative Proxies:

    Alternative Proxy

    pFad Proxy

    pFad v3 Proxy

    pFad v4 Proxy