For >30 years, scientists have argued about a controversial hypothesis relating to periodic mass extinctions and impact craters – caused by comet and asteroid showers – on Earth. Now scientists have concluded that mass extinctions occurring over the past 260 million years were likely caused by comet and asteroid showers.
A graph showing how the rate of cratering has changed on Earth over time. The arrows indicate the dates of mass extinctions. Credit: Michael Rampino / NYU
Michael Rampino, NYU geologist, and Ken Caldeira, a scientist in the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Global Ecology, offer new support linking the age of these craters with recurring mass extinctions of life, including the demise of the dinosaurs...
Read More
Recent Comments