Geomagnetic instability as a potential deep-Earth forcing factor in the Permian environmental and biotic crisis

Abstract The Permian witnessed profound geomagnetic, environmental, and biotic upheavals, yet high-resolution paleomagnetic constraints across critical transitions remain sparse. Here, we present a 3.75-million-year magnetostratigraphic record from the Fengshan section (South China) spanning the Guadalupian-Lopingian transition (262.5-258.75 Ma). It yields extreme geomagnetic instability, characterized by 29 magnetozones and an unprecedented reversal frequency of 11 reversals/Myr – one of the highest records in Earth’s history. These features are temporally correlated with the end-Guadalupian extinction (∼261 Ma), suggesting a potential deep-Earth force contributing to surface ecosystem collapse, though the causation remains unproven. This implies that, together with other global forcing factor, geomagnetic instability might have influenced late Permian climatic and biotic upheavals.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
National Science Review
Published
2026-10-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwag647
Primary Topic
Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Geomagnetic instability as a potential deep-Earth forcing factor in the Permian environmental and biotic crisis

Pavle Arsenović, Wout Krijgsman, Bitian Wei, Kaixian Qi et al.
National Science Review
Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies
article

Geomagnetic instability as a potential deep-Earth forcing factor in the Permian environmental and biotic crisis

Pavle Arsenović, Wout Krijgsman, Bitian Wei, Kaixian Qi, Chenglong Deng, Rixiang Zhu, Min Zhang, Hua Zhang, Dong‐xun Yuan, Huafeng Qin, Pingyuan Shi, Shu-zhong Shen, Yifei Hou, Yongxin Pan, Yi-chun Zhang
article en

Abstract

Abstract The Permian witnessed profound geomagnetic, environmental, and biotic upheavals, yet high-resolution paleomagnetic constraints across critical transitions remain sparse. Here, we present a 3.75-million-year magnetostratigraphic record from the Fengshan section (South China) spanning the Guadalupian-Lopingian transition (262.5-258.75 Ma). It yields extreme geomagnetic instability, characterized by 29 magnetozones and an unprecedented reversal frequency of 11 reversals/Myr – one of the highest records in Earth’s history. These features are temporally correlated with the end-Guadalupian extinction (∼261 Ma), suggesting a potential deep-Earth force contributing to surface ecosystem collapse, though the causation remains unproven. This implies that, together with other global forcing factor, geomagnetic instability might have influenced late Permian climatic and biotic upheavals.

National Science Review
Planetary Science Institute (US), Utrecht University (NL), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), China University of Mining and Technology (CN), Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology (CN), Institute of Geology and Geophysics (CN), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing University (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 23%
Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.