How Big Was the Asteroid That Killed the Dinosaurs?

How Big Was the Asteroid That Killed the Dinosaurs?

Before disappearing, prehistoric giants – the dinosaurs – existed on Earth for more than 160 million years. Currently, let alone scientists and historians, most people around the world believe that an asteroid strike killed most species – at least 70% — on our planet, including dinosaurs. But what size was this asteroid, and why was it so devastating?

In this article, you will find information concerning the size of the asteroid, the catastrophe that struck the Earth, and the consequences that caused one of the most severe mass extinctions on the planet.

The Asteroid’s Size: How Big Was It?

Most scientists agree that the giant asteroid’s impact happened about 66 million years ago, to be precise, on today’s Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. According to scientific data, this asteroid was estimated to measure between 10 and 15 kilometers in diameter. Given this context, one might be forgiven for thinking that this does not sound very big in relation to the size of our planet, but trust me, there was a hell of energy upon impact.

To put the issue into perspective, consider a space rock as large as Mount Everest hurtling toward Earth at more than twenty kilometers per second (12 miles per second). This colossal speed and the asteroid’s size released energy equivalent to about one hundred million megatons of Tritonalal T.N.T. In the clearest of all terms, let me try to make it a little easier to understand – that is more than a billion times stronger than the atomic bombs that were used during the Second World War.

The Chicxulub Crater: Evidence of the Impact

The source of such an asteroid is the Chicxulub crater, which is about 150 kilometers (93 miles) in diameter and more than 20 kilometers (12 miles) deep. This crater has remained one of the biggest impact craters that have ever been discovered on Earth. It is mostly subterranean and submarine, and although the plateau is about 98% underwater, research has been conducted to get more information on the occurrence.

It is, therefore, obvious that the Chicxulub crater provides evidence of the asteroid impact. This finding was instrumental in proving that the impactor was, in fact, an asteroid.

The Immediate Effects of the Impact

When the asteroid struck, it caused a chain of catastrophic events that unfolded quickly, contributing to the extinction of the dinosaurs and many other species. Here are some of the immediate effects of the impact:

1. Massive Explosion

For some minutes, the initial impact warmed up the asteroid so much that it evaporated, and a massive fireball followed by molten rock, fragments, and gases soared up to the sky. The explosion would have flashed into space and immediately caused fires in thousands of kilometers.

2. Mega Tsunamis

The intensity of the impacts led to tsunamis and waves that stood to be hundreds of feet tall. These tsunamis moved across the coastlines, inundating large regions and places with destruction of tombs. Oh, and yes, waves are waves, and some theorists believe that the waves traveled as far inland as North America.

3. Earthquakes and Volcanic Activity

The disturbance then caused earthquakes and volcanic eruptions around the world. Seismic waves introduced movements along the faults and triggered volcanic activity. This added even more dust and gases to the atmosphere, so the atmosphere got foggy.

4. A Global Dust Cloud

Long-term consequences include the formation of a spectacular dust cloud, perhaps the most disastrous. As an effect, fragments and particles flew into the atmosphere and hindered the sunlight for months, possibly years. This led to what became known as “impact winter”; temperature fell, photosynthesis ceased, and plant life perished, threatening ecosystems and breaking the food chain.

Why Was the Asteroid So Destructive?

If the object measures 10-15 kilometers in diameter, you might wonder why such an asteroid could have such a devastating global impact. The energy of the asteroid collision was so great that it not only led to local devastation but also led to global environmental transformations.

1. Climate Change

We noted earlier that dust and particulate aerosols around the globe darkened the atmosphere and effectively shielded the sun; the world cooled in response. If plants did not have sunlight, they couldn’t grow, so herbivores (plant-eating dinosaurs) had nothing to eat, and carnivores (meat-eating dinosaurs) had nothing to hunt. This effect virtually wiped out ecosystems ranging from the forests of the Pacific Northwest to Central America.

2. Acid Rain

It caused the explosion of geysers or hot springs, ejecting a mixture of sulfur and water into the atmosphere to form sulfuric acid. This resulted in the further dropping of acid rain on the earth, deepening the devastation of plant and marine life.

3. Oxygen Depletion

The global fires flooded the atmosphere with carbon dioxide and other gases due to the impact. These fires also burned much oxygen, which many living beings could have otherwise used.

The End of the Dinosaurs and the Rise of Mammals

The arrival and collision of the asteroid left a systematic extinction of about three-quarters of all the species that dominated the face of the earth during the Cretaceous period, including the non-avian dinosaurs.

When the dinosaurs disappeared, the mammals started emerging and developing themselves. They evolved over millions of years, and populations split into different adaptations, with primates and, later, humans.

How Do Scientists Know the Asteroid Killed the Dinosaurs?

Scientists have gathered evidence from multiple sources to confirm that an asteroid caused the dinosaurs’ extinction:

• Iridium Layer: Projections of a history of impacts A thin layer of clay containing iridium has been identified in rock layers worldwide. Astronomers claim that a giant asteroid struck the Earth because iridium is scarce on our planet but abundant on space rocks.

• Fossil Record: This is such a testament that animals, especially dinosaurs, drastically reduced around 66 million years ago, the exact time of the asteroid strike.

• Global Effects: It is worth having a look at the ancient climate reconstructions. Examination of layers in the sedimentary rock shows climate modifications after the impact; the global climate cooled, and fires spread throughout the Earth.

FAQs

1. How giant was the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs?

It was estimated to be 10 to 15 kilometers (6 to 9 miles) in diameter and erupted from its niche asteroid, which was estimated to be about 10 to 15 kilometers (6 to 9 miles) from the crater.

2. Where did the asteroid hit Earth?

The impact is thought to have occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago when an asteroid the size of a city punched a hole in the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico known as the Chicxulub crater.

3. Why did the asteroid cause mass extinction?

It caused fires, tsunamis, and earthquakes and created a dust cloud that caused climate change and ecosystem collapse.

4. How do scientists know an asteroid killed the dinosaurs?

These are the iridium layers in rocks, the Chicxul primarily because stones and other minerals can hold samples of materials present during the extinction, and mainly the fossils because they are prime evidence of animal deaths.

5. Did all dinosaurs die instantly?

As with other creatures, many dinosaurs probably did not survive the shift but sounded quickly, but others gradually died from the effects as the climate stabilized.

6. What animals survived the impact of the asteroid?

Medium and large reptiles could not escape the consequences of asteroids’ impacts, but birds and some reptiles’ more minor representatives could.