Chicxulub Impact
The Chicxulub Impact was a catastrophic asteroid strike occurring approximately 66 million years ago at the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary. The event is widely accepted as the primary cause of the K-Pg extinction event, responsible for the demise of non-avian Dinosaurs and ~75% of all plant and animal species on Earth.
Event Characteristics
- Location: Chicxulub crater, present-day Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico.
- Impactor: Estimated diameter of 10–15 km.
- Energy Release: Equivalent to ~100 million megatons of TNT.
- Immediate Effects: Massive seismic activity, tsunamis, and global wildfires ignited by ejected molten rock.
Aftermath & Recovery
- Impact Winter: Ejection of dust and sulfur aerosols blocked sunlight, causing photosynthesis collapse and global cooling for months to years.
- Food Chain Collapse: Herbivores starved due to lack of vegetation; carnivores followed.
- Recovery: Transitioned Earth into the Cenozoic Era, often termed the “Age of Mammals,” as surviving mammalian and avian lineages diversified into vacant ecological niches.
- Source Integration: Dinosaur Extinction Event: Chicxulub Impact, Aftermath, and Earth’s Recovery details the transition from the serene Cretaceous environment to the post-impact devastation and subsequent ecological restructuring.