New Clues to the Extinction of Dinosaurs Revealed in Groundbreaking Discovery
Scientists have long been puzzled the extinction of dinosaurs that occurred millions of years ago. However, a groundbreaking discovery has shed new light on this ancient mystery. According to a report Scimex, a hidden chapter in the tale of dinosaur extinction has been unveiled.
The main culprit in the demise of dinosaurs is believed to be an asteroid impact. Approximately 66 million years ago, a colossal asteroid measuring 10-15km in diameter struck Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. Known as the Chicxulub impact, this cataclysmic event is thought to have caused a global winter, ultimately resulting in the extinction of approximately 75% of Earth’s species, including non-avian dinosaurs. Until now, the precise mechanism behind this catastrophe has remained uncertain.
Scientists have conducted extensive modeling to understand the effects of the impact-generated dust, sulfur emissions, and soot from wildfires that followed. Their findings suggest that fine dust particles could have lingered in the atmosphere for up to 15 years, causing a significant cooling of Earth’s surface as much as 15°C.
The study emphasizes the role of silicate dust, which was produced as a result of the pulverization of rock during the Chicxulub impact. This fine dust played a crucial role in the global climate shift and the disruption of photosynthesis that followed.
While previous theories focused on the impact of sulfur and soot on the initiation of an impact winter, the contribution of silicate dust particles had not been extensively considered until now.
To assess the impact of sulfur, soot, and silicate dust on the post-impact climate, a team led Cem Berk Senel conducted palaeoclimate simulations based on an analysis of fine-grained material found in a well-preserved impact deposit in North Dakota, USA. Their investigation revealed that fine dust had a more substantial influence than previously thought, mainly due to the size distribution of silicate debris. Incorporating this size distribution into a climate model, they estimated that fine dust could have remained in the atmosphere for 15 years after the impact, causing a dramatic cooling of the planet and blocking sunlight.
The study proposes that silicate dust, along with soot and sulfur, likely hindered photosynthesis and prolonged the impact winter. This disruption would have resulted in a decline in primary productivity, eventually leading to mass extinctions.
This research is significant in identifying a critical factor that contributed to the extinction event. Specifically, it underscores the important role of fine silicate dust in the aftermath of the Chicxulub impact.
The findings of the study were published in the journal Nature.
(Image credit: Enrique from Pixabay)
Sources:
– TechTimes – “From Dust to No More Dawns for Dinosaurs: Fine Particles from Asteroid Impact Led to Mass Extinction Event”
– Nature – “Silicate Dust and the End-Cretaceous Impact Winter“