The Chicxulub asteroid impact and mass extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary

Kießling W (2010)


Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2010

Journal

Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Book Volume: 327

Pages Range: 1214-1218

Journal Issue: 5970

DOI: 10.1126/science.1177265

Abstract

The Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary ∼65.5 million years ago marks one of the three largest mass extinctions in the past 500 million years. The extinction event coincided with a large asteroid impact at Chicxulub, Mexico, and occurred within the time of Deccan flood basalt volcanism in India. Here, we synthesize records of the global stratigraphy across this boundary to assess the proposed causes of the mass extinction. Notably, a single ejecta-rich deposit compositionally linked to the Chicxulub impact is globally distributed at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. The temporal match between the ejecta layer and the onset of the extinctions and the agreement of ecological patterns in the fossil record with modeled environmental perturbations (for example, darkness and cooling) lead us to conclude that the Chicxulub impact triggered the mass extinction.

Authors with CRIS profile

How to cite

APA:

Kießling, W. (2010). The Chicxulub asteroid impact and mass extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Science, 327(5970), 1214-1218. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1177265

MLA:

Kießling, Wolfgang. "The Chicxulub asteroid impact and mass extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary." Science 327.5970 (2010): 1214-1218.

BibTeX: Download