Scientists Say Impact Winter , From Asteroid May Have Caused , the Mass Extinction of the Dinosaurs.
66 million years ago, an asteroid smashed into Mexico's
Yucatan Peninsula, erasing thee-quarters of life on
the planet and ending the age of the dinosaurs.
Reuters reports that while the immediate
collision was devastating, scientists now
believe the climate catastrophe that followed
may have had the most impact.
Years after the asteroid hit Earth,
the skies darkened with thick clouds of
debris while global temperatures plummeted. .
Researchers estimate that the total amount
of dust was close to 2,000 gigatons,
over 11 times the weight of Mt. Everest. .
Researchers estimate that the total amount
of dust was close to 2,000 gigatons,
over 11 times the weight of Mt. Everest. .
According to paleoclimate simulations, this massive
amount of dust could have completely prevented
photosynthesis from occurring for up to two years. .
According to paleoclimate simulations, this massive
amount of dust could have completely prevented
photosynthesis from occurring for up to two years. .
Cem Berk Senel, lead author of the study published
in the journal 'Nature Geoscience,' says the cloud
of dust remained in the atmosphere for 15 years. .
As a result, temperatures on the planet
dropped about 27 degrees Fahrenheit. .
It was cold and
dark for years, Philippe Claeys, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
planetary scientist and study co-author, via Reuters.
This "impact winter" caused a chain reaction
of extinctions, while plants died and herbivores
starved, leaving carnivores without a food source. .
While the sulfur stayed about eight
to nine years, soot and silicate dust
resided in the atmosphere for
about 15 years after the impact. , Özgür Karatekin, Royal Observatory of Belgium
planetary scientist and study co-author, via Reuters.
The complete recovery from
the impact winter took even
longer, with pre-impact
temperature conditions returning
only after about 20 years. , Özgür Karatekin, Royal Observatory of Belgium
planetary scientist and study co-author, via Reuters
