Did one single disaster cause the K-T extinctions?
Some scientists and people are committed to just one reason the K-T extinctions occurred but in this paper many possibilities will be explored with evidence to back up why they could have been a cause as well to the extinctions. Everyone will ultimately make his or her own decision/thoughts on what could have happened, and of course all hypotheses would be subject to analysis.
Asteroid impact theory. The impact of a 10 km+ asteroid would blow a huge rock and vapor above the atmosphere, this would form a large dust cloud that would settle out slowly through the atmosphere during a few weeks, months, or even years. The impact and cloud would spread material that would cover the entire world. …show more content…
The Chicxulub impact has rocks that contain high quantities of sulfur, they produce very high amounts of sulfate vapors into the atmosphere that have caused acid rains a lot more devastating than normal industrial pollution. The effects of this would cause some species that breathe air to suffocate, destroy plants, and shells of marine creatures on the surface and shores. Some other effects of the aerosols and debris are that they could cut down the sun 's rays for long periods of times, this would affect how land plants photosynthesize. Finally, once the aerosols have disappeared, the massive amounts of CO2 released would generate a greenhouse effect that would elevate the Earths temperature for years.
Volcanic eruptions. Massive volcanic eruptions could have caused similar effects as an impact as mentioned above on page 1. Volcanic eruptions produce ash, but also produce large quantities of sulfuric acid rain. With the acid rain it stays suspended longer than the ash and produce effects that take a greater and longer toll on climate. Massive eruptions can shoot material so high it will get carried over large distances. For example, the eruption of Tambora in 1815 blew out 30 cubic km of ash and
Some scientists and people are committed to just one reason the K-T extinctions occurred but in this paper many possibilities will be explored with evidence to back up why they could have been a cause as well to the extinctions. Everyone will ultimately make his or her own decision/thoughts on what could have happened, and of course all hypotheses would be subject to analysis.
Asteroid impact theory. The impact of a 10 km+ asteroid would blow a huge rock and vapor above the atmosphere, this would form a large dust cloud that would settle out slowly through the atmosphere during a few weeks, months, or even years. The impact and cloud would spread material that would cover the entire world. …show more content…
The Chicxulub impact has rocks that contain high quantities of sulfur, they produce very high amounts of sulfate vapors into the atmosphere that have caused acid rains a lot more devastating than normal industrial pollution. The effects of this would cause some species that breathe air to suffocate, destroy plants, and shells of marine creatures on the surface and shores. Some other effects of the aerosols and debris are that they could cut down the sun 's rays for long periods of times, this would affect how land plants photosynthesize. Finally, once the aerosols have disappeared, the massive amounts of CO2 released would generate a greenhouse effect that would elevate the Earths temperature for years.
Volcanic eruptions. Massive volcanic eruptions could have caused similar effects as an impact as mentioned above on page 1. Volcanic eruptions produce ash, but also produce large quantities of sulfuric acid rain. With the acid rain it stays suspended longer than the ash and produce effects that take a greater and longer toll on climate. Massive eruptions can shoot material so high it will get carried over large distances. For example, the eruption of Tambora in 1815 blew out 30 cubic km of ash and