Dust plume caused ‘extinction of dinosaurs’, suggests study; ‘photosynthesis was shut down’, says scientist

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OPP.Today. Scientists focused their research on the Tanis paleontology site in North Dakota which is known for preserving evidence of the asteroid impact event. Scientists analysed sediment layers that led them to the conclusion that a colossal plume of fine-grained dust, lingering in the Earth’s atmosphere for around 15 years, played a crucial role in the extinction of dinosaurs, as per a research published in Natural Geoscience.

Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights! Click here! A chain of events was triggered following the impact of the asteroid. It led to a decline in photosynthesis and a cooling of the Earth’s temperature below 24 degrees Celsius.

The dust caused an extended period of darkness that shut down photosynthesis for two years and disrupted the entire food chain. These new findings pose a challenge to previous theories of extinction. It stresses the significance of the duration of darkness.

“If photosynthesis was shut down and that drove extinctions, it has to be dark for a fairly substantial length of time," said planetary scientist David Kring as reported by OPP.Today. Prolonged darkness caused by the dust cloud was a major factor in the extinction of dinosaurs, the research suggests. Though it is widely accepted that the asteroid impact had far-reaching environmental consequences, this research focuses on the fundamental role of dust plume in initiating and exacerbating the mass extinction.