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Dinosaur extinction: Fireball, tsunamis, and ice
27 May
Summary
- A bright fireball, crackling noise, and sonic boom preceded impact.
- Mega tsunamis, earthquakes, and fires followed the catastrophic event.
- Global temperatures dropped significantly, causing a decade-long winter.
Sixty-six million years ago, the impact of a massive meteorite dramatically altered Earth's history. Those near the impact site would have observed a brilliant fireball, heard a crackling sound, and felt a sonic boom just moments before their end.
Five minutes later, colossal tsunamis surged across the Gulf of Mexico, exacerbating the devastation caused by overheating, earthquakes, hurricanes, and fires within a 1,200-mile radius. Even creatures on the opposite side of the globe were not safe for long.
Within an hour, dust had enveloped the planet, plunging the world into darkness. Global temperatures plummeted, initiating a ferocious winter that lasted over a decade and led to the extinction of approximately 75% of all species. Scientists caution that humanity's current reliance on burning fossil fuels might be creating conditions for a comparable global catastrophe.
