A new study has shed light on the possible cause of the extinction of dinosaurs, suggesting that a massive cloud of dust played a significant role. Published in Natural Geoscience, the study reveals that a plume of fine-grained dust may have lingered in Earth’s atmosphere for 15 years, cooling the temperature by 24 degrees and shutting down photosynthesis for two years. Scientists researching the sediment layers of the Tanis paleontology site in North Dakota, which preserve evidence of the asteroid impact believed to have killed off dinosaurs, made this discovery.
According to planetary scientist Cem Berk Senel, the impact of the asteroid triggered a chain of events that ultimately led to the demise of dinosaurs. Senel explains that the dust cloud could have shut down photosynthesis for such a long time that it posed severe challenges, resulting in a chain reaction of extinction throughout the food chain.
Previous theories have suggested that the asteroid impact caused a giant cloud, blocking sunlight and leading to global wildfires and the release of sulfur aerosols into the atmosphere. However, the duration of darkness and its impact on the planet remained uncertain. By combining computer simulations with an analysis of sediment layers, researchers found that the fine dust grains in the plume could have persisted in the atmosphere for over a decade. These particles, similar in size to microscopic bacteria, would have had a greater impact on blocking sunlight than soot particles or sulfur aerosols.
While the study provides valuable insight into the extinction event, planetary scientist David Kring cautions that the impact had various environmental consequences, making it challenging to attribute the mass extinction to a single cause. Kring explains that a combination of environmental effects, each affecting different parts of the world for different durations, led to the extinction. There is no single silver bullet explanation.
This study contributes to our understanding of the cataclysmic event that shaped Earth’s history and raises further questions about the complex interplay of environmental factors during that time. Further research and analysis will be crucial in unraveling the full story of the dinosaurs’ demise.
