What is an anoxic event?
Q: What is an anoxic event?
A: An anoxic event is an event in which parts of the ocean become low in oxygen (O2) below the surface levels, or when all the oxygen has gone.
Q: What are the different names given to anoxic events?
A: Anoxic events may be called oceanic anoxic events or deep ocean anoxic events.
Q: Have major anoxic events occurred recently?
A: Major anoxic events have not occurred recently; they happened in the past.
Q: What is the evidence of anoxic events seen in the geological record?
A: The evidence of anoxic events seen in the geological record is organic-rich sediment (black shales) that shows they happened in the past.
Q: Have anoxic events caused mass extinctions?
A: Anoxic events may have caused mass extinctions.
Q: How long do oceanic anoxic events typically last for?
A: Oceanic anoxic events typically last for under half a million years before full recovery.
Q: What are some examples of places on earth that show the features of anoxic events on a localized level?
A: Some examples of places on earth that show the features of anoxic events on a localized level are 'dead zones' off the east coast of the United States in the Chesapeake Bay, in the Scandinavian strait Kattegat, the Black Sea, in the northern Adriatic, and off the coast of Louisiana.
