Posted on 12/19/2014 11:42:56 AM PST by Red Badger
A definitive geological timeline shows that a series of massive volcanic explosions 66 million years ago spewed enormous amounts of climate-altering gases into the atmosphere immediately before and during the extinction event that claimed Earth's non-avian dinosaurs, according to new research from Princeton University.
A primeval volcanic range in western India known as the Deccan Traps, which were once three times larger than France, began its main phase of eruptions roughly 250,000 years before the Cretaceous-Paleogene, or K-Pg, extinction event, the researchers report in the journal Science. For the next 750,000 years, the volcanoes unleashed more than 1.1 million cubic kilometers (264,000 cubic miles) of lava. The main phase of eruptions comprised about 80-90 percent of the total volume of the Deccan Traps' lava flow and followed a substantially weaker first phase that began about 1 million years earlier.
The results support the idea that the Deccan Traps played a role in the K-Pg extinction, and challenge the dominant theory that a meteorite impact near present-day Chicxulub, Mexico, was the sole cause of the extinction. The researchers suggest that the Deccan Traps eruptions and the Chicxulub impact need to be considered together when studying and modeling the K-Pg extinction event.
The Deccan Traps' part in the K-Pg extinction is consistent with the rest of Earth history, explained lead author Blair Schoene, a Princeton assistant professor of geosciences who specializes in geochronology. Four of the five largest extinction events in the last 500 million years coincided with large volcanic eruptions similar to the Deccan Traps. The K-Pg extinction is the only one that coincides with an asteroid impact, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...
In other words, the Earth farted?
Wow, people joke about passing “lethal” gas, but this one tops them all.
It was their original sin...
There is no such thing as a “definitive geological timeline.”
I guess this settles once and for all who had first contact.
I understand "Animals", but the inclusion of "Pets" just cracks me up, even though I know they are the same topic.
What's not to understand? Dinos are pets!............
Thanks Red Badger. Definitive timeline on something that didn't happen is pretty darned impressive. There was a big impact in Yucatan, it killed the dinos within days or weeks, and meanwhile, some volcanic activity that was at a usual level continued here and there around the Earth's surface.
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...lead author Blair Schoene, a Princeton assistant professor of geosciences who specializes in geochronology....and is working under a grant related to, let me guess, global warming?
Not every 7 years or so.
Is “climate altering” the same as “climate change?”
Same thing, different times................
Something should ‘extinct’ MOST of us.
....We need it. lol
Which is why many fossil dinosaurs are found in the “drowned” position.
I understand “Animals”, but the inclusion of “Pets” just cracks me up,...
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You don’t remember Alley Oop and his pet brontosaur “Baby”?
(Yep, I’m old and read the comics in the ‘40s)
Has there been any further information on Chaterjee’s(sp?) hypothesis that there was a much larger impact in the ocean off Mumbai (Bombay) around that time?
You are referring to the Shiva impact structure. Whether this is an impact structure, 350 miles long and 250 miles wide, was caused by a rock 25 miles in diameter or some other geological events has yet to be settled.
The approximate age of the Shiva structure roughly coincides with the Chicxulube impact crater and the Deccan Traps volcanism. If it is accepted as a true impact crater, these events would be 1,2,3 knockout punch for the Dinosaurs.
Y’know, I think I’ve d/led this before, and wow, 40 page PDF, I plan to wimp out for now and see if there’s a wiki-wacky-pedia page about it. ;’)
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/10/091016-asteroid-impact-india-dinosaurs.html
Others not convinced, but that could be the murmur from [as Sheldon Cooper would say] the rock people; multiple impact event is just fine with me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva_crater
...and after all, everyone goes extinct from somethin’...
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