Imagine a beach day ruined by relentless rain—what if that rain didn’t stop after a few hours, a few days, or even a year? What if it lasted for 2 million years?
This bizarre scenario is far from science fiction.

Around 234 million years ago, the Carnian Pluvial Episode hit Earth, an event so intense and long-lasting that it reshaped life on the planet.

“What do you mean it rained for 2 million years?” you might ask.

Let’s dive into this strange chapter of Earth’s history where rain wasn’t just an inconvenience—it was a global catastrophe.

A Time of Extreme Weather and Mega-Monsoons
The Carnian Pluvial Episode occurred during the late Triassic, a period when Earth’s landmasses were still part of the supercontinent Pangaea.

Most of the land was hot and dry, with vast deserts and rocks dominating the landscape.

But this extreme dryness was occasionally interrupted by supercharged monsoons—think of today’s monsoons but on an epic scale, intensifying the usual rainfall into something much more destructive.

Pangaea’s internal regions, especially those near the equator, were inhospitable, leading to massive climate extremes.

Huge central mountains cast rain shadows, leaving parts of the land even drier.

Yet, despite these challenges, life found a way to thrive, especially along the coasts where the weather was more favorable.

Dinosaurs and the Rise of the Rain-Swamped World
While the extreme weather was disastrous, the Carnian period also marked the emergence of dinosaurs.

It was during this time that the first true dinosaurs began to evolve.

This event would set the stage for the dominance of dinosaurs in the Mesozoic Era.

Among the new dinosaur species were the small, two-legged creatures like the Staurikosaurus, which grew to about 7 feet long and primarily ate smaller vertebrates.

Interestingly, these early dinosaurs were just a small part of a much larger and diverse ecosystem that included proto-dinosaurs like Burolestes, which were more closely related to the ancestors of herbivorous giants like sauropods.While dinosaurs dominated the lands, the oceans were teeming with new marine reptiles, like the earliest Placodonts and cephalopods, which would later grow into the mighty squids of the Cretaceous.

The Destructive Force of the Reangalia Flood Basalts
What truly pushed the Earth into chaos during this time was the eruption of the Reangalia flood basalts, one of the largest volcanic events in history.

The eruptions released massive amounts of carbon dioxide, which caused global temperatures to rise by up to 8°C (14°F).

The volcanic gases intensified the hydrological cycle, supercharging the Earth’s weather patterns and triggering the Carnian Pluvial Episode.

As temperatures soared, the weather became more erratic.

The Earth’s oceans started to dilute with fresh rainwater, and the oceans’ salinity dropped, disrupting the marine ecosystems.

The rain seemed endless, and the environment became swamped by constant precipitation, leading to the creation of giant inland lakes, marshes, and floodplains.

Some places on Earth became completely transformed, turning into dense, tropical swamps.

The 2 Million Years of Rain and Its Effects
For two million years, the Earth was hammered by extreme rainfall.

The rain wasn’t constant every day, but when it came, it came with a vengeance, drastically altering the landscape.

Rivers flooded, marshes expanded, and giant lakes appeared.

The sheer volume of water eroded rocks, leading to rock formations that revealed basement rock—a clear sign of how much the environment had changed.

This event triggered a dramatic climate shift, with humidity levels rising and creating conditions for massive plant growth.

The result? A flood of new life forms.

Ferns, conifers, and other plants thrived, creating lush landscapes that were a far cry from the arid deserts of the past.

Life During the Carnian: Winners and Losers
While many species struggled to survive in the flooding rain, some thrived in the new, wetter world.

Plants flourished, and forests became more abundant, leading to the diversification of herbivores like the Aetosaurus and Phytosaurs, which became dominant on land.

These creatures benefited from the new environment, with larger bodies and more diverse diets.

On the other hand, groups like the Rancosaurus and Dinodontosaurids struggled to adapt.

The abundant rains destroyed their habitats, and they slowly disappeared from the Earth.

The rainstorm, while benefiting some species, created immense challenges for others.

The End of the Rain: A Changed World
Eventually, the volcanic activity subsided, the rains stopped, and Earth returned to a drier state.

But the legacy of the Carnian Pluvial Episode lived on.

The rain had permanently altered the climate, ecosystems, and the species that lived through it.

Dinosaurs, which had already begun to flourish, continued to evolve, eventually leading to the dominance of giant herbivores and predators in the Jurassic period.

The Carnian Pluvial Episode was one of the most significant climate events in Earth’s history, and while it might sound like a forgotten chapter, it played a crucial role in shaping the planet’s future.