Dinosaur-Killing “Chicxulub” Asteroid Everyone’s Talking About: Key Facts, Numbers and Figures
Chicxulub is now the center of a new, controversial study that aims to describe a possible connection between dino-killer and magma emerging under the water.
Read Nexter.org to know more.
Dinosaur killer
Chicxulub asteroid is believed to hit Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula about 66 million years ago and destroying all the dinosaur population as a result.
This theory was supported for years: hundreds of species became extinct because of the Chicxulub asteroid.
Its crater is located near Chicxulub town and was named after it. The crater cannot be seen as it’s buried underneath the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
Source: wikimedia.org
As we’re not able to see the Chicxulub crater, you can compare it to Barringer Crater, Arizona.
Source: rebrn.com
Its diameter is 1.186 kilometers (0.737 mi) and the depth 170 meters (560 ft). Chicxulub crater is much bigger, it has a diameter of 150 km (93 mi) and is 20 km (12 mi) deep.
However, “…people still argue about which one was actually the primary driver of environmental changes that resulted in the death of dinosaurs,” said Leif Karlstrom.
Source: mexicomystic.wordpress.com
Massive magma trigger
This time, a new theory is offered: the notorious asteroid is suggested to be the trigger of massive magma released under the ocean all around the world.
Points mark the speed of spread of the seafloor:
Source: Byrnes and Karlstrom/Science Advances
For instance, scientists suggested that perhaps the asteroid triggered Deccan Trap volcanism, leading to the extinction of Earth’s plant and animal species.
To be more accurate, dinosaurs and other animals died because of deadly gases and choking clouds of debris.
Source: civilserviceindia.com
Also, as the hot magma arises between the Earth plates, the new seafloor emerged.
New seafloor emerged about 66 million years ago:
Source: Byrnes and Karlstrom/Science Advances
Thus, the new problem of undersea magma arises, and we need to fight with it somehow.
“That’s what we need to work on next, I would say: trying to tease out what the effects on the environment were of the volcanic activity,” Byrnes said.
Source: National Geographic
See also:
- Huge Dinosaur Found In Egypt: Why That Changes Everything
- First Ancient Briton: Who Is Cheddar Man And Why His ‘Dark to Black Skin’ Doesn’t Really Matter (Video)
- Israeli Jaw Fossil Discover and 2 More Excavations That Broke Our View On Humanity
