
Fine dust from pulverised rock released by the impact of the Chicxulub meteorite 66 million years ago played a major role in climate cooling, disruption of photosynthesis and the mass extinction of dinosaurs, VUB researchers have found.
Until now, the exact circumstances surrounding the mass extinction of the dinosaurs - such as the effect on the global climate of the material ejected by the meteorite’s impact - have been unclear. Previous research had suggested that rather than silicate dust emissions into the atmosphere, sulphur gas and particles released during the impact and soot from later wildfires were the primary triggers for a "nuclear winter". However, this was based on limited understanding of the physical properties of these particles. ...