Asteroidal Volcanic Eruptions

At two of the greatest extinctions ever, there were both impacts and eruptions at the same time that could've caused them: a smaller extinction by the smaller Deccan Traps and smaller Chicxulub Crater 66 million years ago, 1 and a greater extinction by the greater Siberian Traps and greater Wilkes Land Crater 250 million years ago (dated from tektites). 2 As in both cases the eruptions were antipodal to the impact at the time, they must've been caused by the destructive interference of converging seismic waves (cf. Tharsis Bulge / Hellas Basin). The emissions would've then increased gases and algae that are both toxic and cooling.
1 Mark A. Richards: Triggering of the largest Deccan eruptions by the Chicxulub impact
2 H.E. Laendsberg: Advances in Geophysics

No comments:

Post a Comment