New Information on Earth's extinction 65 million years ago.

An asteroid strike may not only account for the demise of ocean and land life 65 million years ago, but the fireball's path and the resulting dust, darkness and toxic metal contamination may explain the geographic unevenness of extinctions and recovery, according to Penn State geoscientists.

So with new information coming through on the mass extinction 65 million years ago, it would seem that through a nannoplankton study scientists are saying that the geographic unevenness of extinctions and recovery was in part due to toxic shock, toxic metals in the asteroid appear to have contaminated the Northern oceans stopping the recovery of life quicker than they would expect.

It's a discovery I believe scientists can link together that accounts for some of the anomalies in the extinction event 65 million years ago, as life recovered quicker in some places on Earth it would seem to explain why that happened, some places were exposed to far more toxic metals thus took much longer to recover than other places on Earth.

Some interesting reading on the subject and discovery here:

Nature

Science

Astro

Are there any people on ATS that think the extinction didn't happen due to an asteroid strike??

Well, consider this article from one of the links you posted:

www.sciencedaily.com...

"We found that not a single species went extinct as a result of the Chicxulub impact," says Keller.

This conclusion should not come as too great a surprise, she says. None of the other great mass extinctions are associated with an impact, and no other large craters are known to have caused a significant extinction event.

Keller suggests that the massive volcanic eruptions at the Deccan Traps in India may be responsible for the extinction, releasing huge amounts of dust and gases that could have blocked out sunlight and brought about a significant greenhouse effect.

Further info:

History

The Deccan Traps formed between 60 and 68 million years ago,[2] at the end of the Cretaceous period. The bulk of the volcanic eruption occurred at the Western Ghats (near Mumbai) some 66 million years ago. This series of eruptions may have lasted fewer than 30,000 years in total.[3] The gases released in the process may have played a role in the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event, which included the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs.

Before the Deccan Traps region was reduced to its current size by erosion and plate tectonics, it is estimated that the original area covered by the lava flows was as large as 1.5 million km², approximately half the size of modern India. The present area of directly observable lava flows is estimated to be around 512,000 km2 (197,684 sq mi).

The release of volcanic gases, particularly sulfur dioxide, during the formation of the traps contributed to contemporary climate change. Data point to an average fall in temperature of 2 °C in this period."[4]

en.wikipedia.org...

The debate will rage on, no doubt.

Originally posted by Majestic RNA

An asteroid strike may not only account for the demise of ocean and land life 65 million years ago, but the fireball's path and the resulting dust, darkness and toxic metal contamination may explain the geographic unevenness of extinctions and recovery, according to Penn State geoscientists.

So with new information coming through on the mass extinction 65 million years ago, it would seem that through a nannoplankton study scientists are saying that the geographic unevenness of extinctions and recovery was in part due to toxic shock, toxic metals in the asteroid appear to have contaminated the Northern oceans stopping the recovery of life quicker than they would expect.

It's a discovery I believe scientists can link together that accounts for some of the anomalies in the extinction event 65 million years ago, as life recovered quicker in some places on Earth it would seem to explain why that happened, some places were exposed to far more toxic metals thus took much longer to recover than other places on Earth.

Some interesting reading on the subject and discovery here:

Nature

Science

Astro

Are there any people on ATS that think the extinction didn't happen due to an asteroid strike??

Consider this...the earth is growing. The oceans floors are the youngest parts of the earth.

Core sample taken at the rifts in the ocean show the sea floors spread is much younger then the land samples. The newest soil under the ocean only being about 70mya give or take a few million.

Extinction was caused by the earth going through a massive growth spurt in a rather short period of time. Massive volcano's and water release from the core. The earth hasn't changed mass rather it's density expanded, like blowing up a ballon.

something to think about...

Peace

reply to post by TrueAmerican


Hi TrueAmerican

Yep saw that, and I just want to point out my thinking on the subject is the extinction happened due to many factors not just an impact, the impact for sure happened, the Chicxulub crater is evidence of that, but this new study is interesting in it's findings of the toxic shock symptoms and the recovery of life in it's aftermath, the temp drop and volcanic activity would appear to have a bearing in the extinction, but the differences in dates indicate that this impact predated the K-T boundary by some 300,000 years…


Another link pointing out the asteroid strike wasn't fully responsible for the extinction..


Chicxulub impact

Heh, as you say TrueAmerican the debate will go on!

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
Well, consider this article from one of the links you posted:

www.sciencedaily.com...

"We found that not a single species went extinct as a result of the Chicxulub impact," says Keller.

This conclusion should not come as too great a surprise, she says. None of the other great mass extinctions are associated with an impact, and no other large craters are known to have caused a significant extinction event.

Keller suggests that the massive volcanic eruptions at the Deccan Traps in India may be responsible for the extinction, releasing huge amounts of dust and gases that could have blocked out sunlight and brought about a significant greenhouse effect.

Further info:

History

The Deccan Traps formed between 60 and 68 million years ago,[2] at the end of the Cretaceous period. The bulk of the volcanic eruption occurred at the Western Ghats (near Mumbai) some 66 million years ago. This series of eruptions may have lasted fewer than 30,000 years in total.[3] The gases released in the process may have played a role in the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event, which included the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs.

Before the Deccan Traps region was reduced to its current size by erosion and plate tectonics, it is estimated that the original area covered by the lava flows was as large as 1.5 million km², approximately half the size of modern India. The present area of directly observable lava flows is estimated to be around 512,000 km2 (197,684 sq mi).

The release of volcanic gases, particularly sulfur dioxide, during the formation of the traps contributed to contemporary climate change. Data point to an average fall in temperature of 2 °C in this period."[4]

en.wikipedia.org...

The debate will rage on, no doubt.

Exactly, why do you think so many ancients worshiped volcano's? Didn't want to make God angry...He breaths fire and has a taste for virgins. At night his snakes run down the mountain.

Like the dead milkmen sing...."Born to love volcano's, seen em on pbs"

Peace

reply to post by letthereaderunderstand




No argument on the ocean floors there letthereaderunderstand, I would like to see some evidence the extinction was caused by a growth spurt though, do you have any links please?

And your right with the ancients worshiping volcano's, they even do it to this day