Some members of the wider scientific community were skeptical of the hypothesis. However, in 1991, scientists found that the Chicxulub crater was the right age to have been formed by a massive asteroid strike coinciding with the demise of the dinosaurs. Over the years, researchers have gathered more and more evidence that the asteroid strike was indeed the impetus for the cataclysmic extinction event.
The asteroid was huge — likely between 6 and 9 miles (9.7 and 14.5 kilometers) in diameter. But its colossal size is why it largely disappeared. The rock, roughly the size of Mount Everest, hurtled toward Earth, traveling 15.5 miles per second (25 kilometers per second), according to NASA
“Basically, all this kinetic energy is converted into heat,” Goderis said. “When the thing hits the target, it will more than explode; it will be vaporized.” The impact created a cloud of dust composed of the asteroid itself and the rock it landed on. The dust spread worldwide, blotting out sunlight and lowering temperatures for years, resulting in mass extinction.
As for the asteroid, “there’s nothing left except for this chemical trace that is deposited all around the globe,” Goderis said. “This forms this tiny clay layer you can recognize everywhere in the world, and it’s basically the same instant in time, 66 million years ago.”
CONTINUE READING ON THE NEXT PAGE
Bring lemon and bay leaves to a boil; you can’t even begin to comprehend all the advantages.
Discover the Joy of Making Homemade Butter with Just One Ingredient!
Once these delectable morsels emerged from the oven, their irresistible aroma filled the air. With everyone eagerly grabbing a piece, we indulged ourselves before even sitting down for dinner.
Presence of Our Kids ?
I bought salmon a week ago and wanted to make it for dinner today. When I took it out of the refrigerator, it had a yellow stain on it. What is it
Dessert aux 4 ingrédients prêt en seulement 10 minutes
Throwing away fruit nets is wasteful, use them to do these 6 things, if you want to save money you must know
Known as ‘The Christmas Showstopper,’ it’s been the centerpiece of three family gatherings this week alone
6 things to cook your food with & 6 things to never cook your food with