Asteroid Impacts Cause Volcanoes to Erupt on the Opposite Side of the Planet

The worst mass extinction event on the planet, called the Permian Triassic extinction event, was caused by the eruption of several million cubic kilometers of lava at the Siberian Traps. However, these volcanoes may have an unexpected origin, an asteroid impact. On the exact opposite side of the planet, the large Wilkes Land Crater exists right at the antipode of where the Siberian Traps began. This video will discuss the theory that certain flood basalt volcanoes originated from large asteroid or comet impacts.

If you would like to support this channel, consider becoming a patron at http://patreon.com/geologyhub.

Another way to support this channel is to make an order via our gemstone and geology related etsy store at http://prospectingarizona.etsy.com.

This channel's merch store is also on etsy at http://geologyhub.etsy.com.

Thumbnail Photo Credit: J. D. Griggs, USGS, Public Domain

0:00 An Ancient Cataclysm
0:17 Permian Triassic Extinction
1:02 Antipodes
1:35 An Example on Mercury
2:06 Chicxulub Impact Crater
2:49 How Impacts Trigger Volcanic Eruptions
Google Earth imagery used in this video: ©Google