The K-T mass extinction had occurred about 65 million years ago, in which various different species had gone extinct. Furthermore, the significant group of animals to disappear was the dinosaurs. This K-T mass extinction event is known as the K-T mass extinction as the K stands for Cretaceous and the T for Tertiary as these were the time periods in which the extinction had occurred. Many individuals may believe that the species may have gone extinct due to an Asteroid impact or comet impact, however, in reality, the animals and its species were gone extinct due to volcanism as it was close to the plate boundary of India and Africa. Volcanoes seems to be the reason why this mass extinction has occurred since 65 million years ago there was …show more content…
As a volcano occurs it can cause some of the same impacts as an asteroid but it can have some different and more dangerous effects. For example, in the article,The K-T Extinction by Richard Cowen, it states, “Gigantic eruptions could produce results similar to those of an impact. Volcanic eruptions produce ash, but, even more important, they produce vast amounts of aerosols in the form of sulfuric acid droplets which stay suspended longer than ash and produce long-lasting effects on climate… the Deccan Traps eruptions include acid rain, ozone depletion, a greenhouse effect, a cooling effect, or any combination of the above…” (Cowen, page 4). This quote explains the outcomes of the volcano which are all negative and are very dangerous to the living organisms. These effects all include a change in the climate and atmosphere of the Earth in which the organisms probably couldn’t adapt to them which had caused them to go to extinct. Extinction of a species requires a great, massive event to occur in order to have the organisms extinct, in which this volcanic event was a great event during the Cretaceous and Tertiary event which may have caused extinction to happen. As you can see, events like volcanoes have long lasting impacts where organisms may disappear as the volcanoes get …show more content…
An Asteroid that may have hit the Earth may have long lasting impacts which may have caused the animals to go extinct. For example, in the article, The K-T Extinction by Richard Cowen it states, “An asteroid big enough to scatter the estimated amount of iridium in the worldwide spike at the K-T boundary may have been about 10 km (6miles) across… The iridium and the smallest pieces of debris would be spread worldwide by the impact blast as the asteroid vaporized into a fireball.” (Cowden, page1). This quote exhibits how dangerous the asteroids can be as it creates a great amount of destruction. The small pieces of debris can scatter all over the world which means a great extinction can occur. However, volcanoes can have a greater impact on mass extinction as they are more harmful. For example, from Live Science, in the article, Dinosaur Killer May Have Been Volcanism, Not Asteroid by Andrea Thompson it states, “Keller and others now say more about the life-extinguishing work of a massive series of sulfur dioxide-spewing volcanic eruptions that occurred in what is now India at the time of the dinosaur-destroying K-T mass extinction (the shorthand given to the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction)” (Thompson, para. 3). This proves how a humongous amount of sulfur dioxide was part of the volcanic eruption causing this massive extinction to occur. As you can see, the K-T mass
The possibility if a meteor strike as the cause of extinctions is discarded, something that most specialists agree on. There is no evidence of any meteor crater big enough or recent enough to be accountable for it; there are no “elements that are common extraterrestrially but less so on Earth, such as iridium, and no sign of a tsunami or other phenomena following the impact.” The extinctions where also very selective and occurred over a very long period of time. If a “one shot” catastrophe had been the cause it would have affected all species at the same time and in similar
The question of what caused the extinction of megafauna during the Late Pleistocene period is one that archaeologists have struggled to answer for decades, but why should it matter? Discovering with certainty the cause of megafaunal extinction would simultaneously prove or disprove any of the proposed implications of each existing theory regarding this massive extinction.
The Permian Triassic extinction was an event of cataclysmic disaster and almost the extinction of all species on planet earth. The Permian Triassic extinction is said to have occurred millions of years ago, geologist have estimated that its occurrences happened about 248 million to 286 million years ago. This rare occurrence of events proceeded the Triassic geologic periods and the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras. This mass disaster was the largest dissipation of living life on planet earth; it is believed to be even superior to other crises such as the Ordovician and Devonian events and the conclusion of the cretaceous era that came upon the dinosaurs.
The specific/primary cause for the Permian-Triassic Extinction event is still in contention by several researchers, but is generally agreed on to be the result of several ‘pulses’, or miniature...
“...99.9 per cent of all [species] that have ever existed are now extinct.” (Benton 1) After one hundred and sixty million years of domination, the reign of the dinosaurs ended in fire and ice. Sixty five million years ago, the largest volcanoes in the history of the Earth erupted across what is now India, effectively annihilating the dinosaurs by spewing out noxious gas and ash, that effectively blocked out the sun killing off most vegetation and breaking the food chain, leaving the dinosaurs to starve. Compared to other groups of animals the dinosaurs were the most vulnerable to such a climatic event and the result was the end of the dinosaurs’ glorious evolutionary history.
The Extinction of Dinosaurs How did the dinosaurs become extinct? This is a question that has stumped scientists ever since dinosaur fossils were first discovered. There are many theories as to how the dinosaurs became extinct. This page presents some of the most popular theories. Keep in mind that there is no absolutely proven theory.
Modern America measures in units that are unknown to foreigners and this system should be replaced. The metric system was created to simplify and accurately present information to a reader. The US system of units is a confusing and outdated measuring technology. Thomas Jefferson adopted the system of units towards the beginning of the U.S. and took after the French Empire’s system. However, John Quincy Adams was against this proposition and believed after the fall of the French Empire, their system was bound to also lead to the downfall of the US.
...asted about a million years. The eruption was not violent compared to others, but it was able to send ash as high as the stratosphere. So another theory is that shifting of the tectonic plates caused the Deccan Traps to erupt, causing the release of massive amounts of carbon dioxide out of the earths crust. This went on to create a global greenhouse effect that cooked the planet. This along with climate change from continental drift could have caused the K-T event. Paleontologist Richard Cowen believes the evidence of an asteroid impact is so strong that there is no point to explain that evidence as solely volcanic effects. We should concentrate on the fact that the K-T boundary coincided with two different, yet very dramatic events.
of species due to a variety of causes. Included is out competition, depletion of resources
Volcanoes can be one of the most destructive forces on Earth. It is estimated that some
Several mass extinctions have occurred during the Earth’s history. The Cretaceous – Tertiary Boundary (K-T) Extinction caused the loss of at least three-quarters of all species known at that time including the dinosaurs. The cause of this mass extinction is a controversial subject among scientists but the fossil evidence of it’s occurrence is abundant.
Humans are very quickly dominating the globe. Today, the human population is around 7 billion people. Humans are populating at a rate of almost 220,000 per day! Humans are rapidly heading towards Earth’s carrying capacity.
The most popular theory of dinosaur extinction, the asteroid theory, says that dinosaurs died out because of a single, giant asteroid. They say that the asteroid that struck the earth near the Gulf of Mexico went 43,000 mph and spanned six miles wide (Erdman). When it hit the Earth the asteroid it left an enormous crater that measured 24 miles deep and 125 miles wide (Erdman). Just the impact of the asteroid destroyed the forests and landscape of the majority of North America due to its massive shock wave (Erdman). Many species went extinct when the asteroid hit, these species include dinosaurs, ammonites (certain ocean dwelling creatures), pterosaurs, and some plant groups dinosaurs, ammonites (mollusks related to the octopus and the chambered nautilus), pterosaurs, and certain plant groups. Although devastating, the asteroid did not wipe out all of the animals on Earth, it didn’t exterminate fish, frogs, turtles, birds, mammals and croco...
When a volcano erupts, the focus is particularly on the consequences that take place near the volcano, such as weather conditions, the impact on nature, and the people who are affected. The noticeable changes that take place after a volcanic eruption includes the decrease in the temperature, natural disasters, such as tsunamis, droughts, and hurricanes, and the air pollution, which can be harmful to plants, animals, and people.
Because the CO2 levels are rising, the ice caps are melting and many more animals can become extinct. When pangea started splitting, there was a lot of volcanic activity, which cause the death of many dinosaurs. A meteor also hit earth and the mass extinction of many land and marine animals happened. There have been five mass extinctions in Earth’s history. The worst one wiped out ninety-six percent of marine life and seventy percent of land organisms. This took millions of years to recover.