TY - JOUR
T1 - Site of asteroid impact changed the history of life on Earth
T2 - The low probability of mass extinction
AU - Kaiho, Kunio
AU - Oshima, Naga
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Dr. Yuzuru Isoda and Dr. Michihiko Nakamura for calculation of areas in Fig. 4 and providing information on sulfur content in the mantle, respectively. This study was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (KAKENHI Grants in-Aid for Scientific Research; Grant Numbers JP22403016, JP25247084, JP26701004, JP26241003, and JP16H01772) and the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund (2-1403, 2-1703, and S-12) of the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency, Japan.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 The Author(s).
PY - 2017/12/1
Y1 - 2017/12/1
N2 - Sixty-six million years ago, an asteroid approximately 9 km in diameter hit the hydrocarbon- and sulfur-rich sedimentary rocks in what is now Mexico. Recent studies have shown that this impact at the Yucatan Peninsula heated the hydrocarbon and sulfur in these rocks, forming stratospheric soot and sulfate aerosols and causing extreme global cooling and drought. These events triggered a mass extinction, including dinosaurs, and led to the subsequent macroevolution of mammals. The amount of hydrocarbon and sulfur in rocks varies widely, depending on location, which suggests that cooling and extinction levels were dependent on impact site. Here we show that the probability of significant global cooling, mass extinction, and the subsequent appearance of mammals was quite low after an asteroid impact on the Earth's surface. This significant event could have occurred if the asteroid hit the hydrocarbon-rich areas occupying approximately 13% of the Earth's surface. The site of asteroid impact, therefore, changed the history of life on Earth.
AB - Sixty-six million years ago, an asteroid approximately 9 km in diameter hit the hydrocarbon- and sulfur-rich sedimentary rocks in what is now Mexico. Recent studies have shown that this impact at the Yucatan Peninsula heated the hydrocarbon and sulfur in these rocks, forming stratospheric soot and sulfate aerosols and causing extreme global cooling and drought. These events triggered a mass extinction, including dinosaurs, and led to the subsequent macroevolution of mammals. The amount of hydrocarbon and sulfur in rocks varies widely, depending on location, which suggests that cooling and extinction levels were dependent on impact site. Here we show that the probability of significant global cooling, mass extinction, and the subsequent appearance of mammals was quite low after an asteroid impact on the Earth's surface. This significant event could have occurred if the asteroid hit the hydrocarbon-rich areas occupying approximately 13% of the Earth's surface. The site of asteroid impact, therefore, changed the history of life on Earth.
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U2 - 10.1038/s41598-017-14199-x
DO - 10.1038/s41598-017-14199-x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85033702070
SN - 2045-2322
VL - 7
JO - Scientific Reports
JF - Scientific Reports
IS - 1
M1 - 14855
ER -