And yet the dinosaurs became extinct because of the impact of the Chicxulub asteroid, scientists have found
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One mystery less — the dinosaurs became extinct because of the asteroid
Perhaps, for anybody not a secret that in the scientific community, the debate continues about what caused the death of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. So, recently we to you the results of studies showing that dinosaurs may well have to die before the fall of the asteroid Chicxulub. The fact is that due to large-scale volcanic activity in the Earth's atmosphere was observed very high concentrations of mercury. However, the new study seems to finally dot the “I”, putting an end to years of debate. Tell that learned scholar.
What happened on Earth 65 million years ago?
About 65 million years ago an asteroid with a diameter of 10 km struck the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and killed most species on our planet. In the fall, were released into the atmosphere large quantities of molten material and gases which caused acid rain, acidification of surface waters of the oceans and the sudden warming that lasted for years. Then came that lasted decades.
However, scientists do not always agree with what asteroid was the cause of the mass death . Part of the research community believed that the intense volcanic activity also contributed to the decline of wildlife. Thus, recently, experts found out that volcanism in the late Cretaceous period coincided with mass extinction. Indeed, two events of planetary importance, which more or less coincide in time, gave rise to a discussion about which of the two events was the cause of the disappearance: could the volcanism to weaken ecosystems, or the reason was a meteor.
Why killed the dinosaurs?
According to the latest study, which was published in the journal , the volcanic activity did not play a direct role in the mass extinction of the dinosaurs. According to the team led by scientists from Yale University (), the only cause of death of wildlife was an asteroid. As the researchers write, volcanoes can actually cause the mass extinction, as they produce gases such as sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide, which can oxidize the planet. However, volcanic activity and the associated warming occurred before and after impact, not during extinction.
Volcanic activity was not to blame
As the results showed, with the disappearance of the giant lizards coincided only the fall of an asteroid. Later a new eruptive phase has slowed the recovery of ecosystems. Volcanic activity in the Cretaceous period caused a gradual global warming of about 2°C, but not mass extinction. To come to these conclusions, the researchers analyzed the data analyses collected from the oceans and combined record of climatic, biotic and carbon cycles obtained from sediments and sea , such as teeth and the shells of mollusks, and compared them with various scenarios of volcanic eruptions and their impact. As a result, the researchers were able to create a detailed reconstruction of the global temperature of the period.
Thus, the researchers demonstrate that a large part of the emission of gas occurred long before the asteroid strike, and that Chicxulub caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Well, mystery solved!
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