The Theory That Volcanoes Killed the Dinosaurs Is Officially Extinct
For years, scientists have floated an alternative theory to explain the extinction of the dinosaurs—one involving extreme volcanism. It’s an intriguing idea, but new research seems to have finally put this competing explanation to rest.
Sixty-six million years ago, all dinosaurs (except for birds) were wiped from the face of the Earth. Did the final blow come from devastating volcanic eruptions, or a catastrophic asteroid impact?
To answer this decades-old question, researchers led by The University of Manchester reconstructed the average air temperatures of the 100,000 years preceding the extinction event. Their findings, detailed in a December 18 study published in the journal Science Advances, confirm that the infamous asteroid was indeed responsible for the end-Cretaceous mass extinction.
Also known as the K–T extinction, this era—marked by immensely violent geological and astronomical events—witnessed the end of about 80% of all species. What’s indisputable about this pivotal moment in Earth’s history is that a 6.2 to 9.3-mile-wide (10 to 15-kilometer) asteroid struck what is now modern-day Mexico. Around the same time, however, volcanoes in what is now India experienced some of the largest eruptions in Earth’s history.
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