October 23, 2023

#2845: Extinction Mechanisms explain

[A drawing of the Chicxulub meteor]

Marking to the right: ≈ 500 km3 (5 × 1014 L)

[Five arrows show individual small rocks coming from the meteor and spreading across the Earth. A sixth arrow provides more elaboration.]

Marking of the separate rock: 1 liter rocks

[The rock is shown entering a square marked “1 m2”, which has another arrow to a larger grid of squares, before an arrow back to the Earth.]

Marking near example square meter: >1 rock per m2

[Four dinosaurs are drawn, including a theropod, what may be a velociraptor, a sauropod, and a triceratops. Each has a small rock falling directly toward it.]

[List header, underlined:] Comet Extinction Mechanism Ideas

[The first three list items are crossed out]

Dust caused impact winter

Firestorms and ocean acidification

Triggered Deccan Traps magma

[The fourth suggestion is circled rather than struck through:]

The rocks hit the dinosaurs

[Caption below the panel:]

Paleontologists are missing the obvious answer.