Ancient Asteroid Impact Coated Earth in Blanket of Beads

[Judi Lynn]

Ancient Asteroid Impact Coated Earth in Blanket of Beads
By Jeanna Bryner
Senior Writer
posted: 06 May 2008
07:55 am ET


The asteroid linked to dinosaurs' demise 65 million years ago slammed into the Yucatan Peninsula with such force it pulverized Earth's crust. The result was a veil of airborne carbon beads that blanketed the planet, a new study finds.

Spanning about 124 miles (200 kilometers), the giant indentation left by the asteroid impact continues to be a treasure trove of clues for scientists piecing together the wipe-out of 70 percent of life on Earth, including non-avian dinosaurs. Called the Chicxulub Crater, this CSI-site is located just west of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

Geologists generally agree an asteroid slammed into Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period; that the catastrophic impact sent molten rock and super-hot ash airborne; and that as the molten material fell from the sky, it ignited flammable flora, sparking forest fires.

More perplexing has been the formation of carbon particles called cenospheres hiding out in rocks of the Chicxulub Crater and other sites. One idea was that the carbon beads were charred remnants formed as a result of the plant-burning.

More:
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/080506-dino-asteroid.html

[Lint Head]

1. Wow ancient love beads. Groovy man! I thought that happened

in the 60's. :smoke: