Cretaceous-palaeogen (K-PG) eradication

- Future Science-KR Chowdhury

From infancy, children become attached to dinosaurs. Dinosaurs and their skeletons, seen only in fossil form, were brought to life on screen by Steven Spielberg's film 'Jurassic Park'. The common man was also attracted to dinosaurs through this film. This was followed by four films that carried forward the ancient saga of Jurassic Park. After watching the film, the question arises in the mind of the common man, how did such gigantic creatures suddenly disappear from the earth? This question haunted many scientists even before seeing Jurassic Park. Half a dozen hypotheses were presented in the settlement. But a more accurate theory was given by Luis and Walter Alvarez. The period in which dinosaurs became extinct is known as the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-PG) extinction. New evidence has recently emerged of an event that wiped out dinosaurs from Earth. Which has given new impetus to the Alvarez hypothesis presented for the extermination of dinosaurs. The answers to the questions of the scientists have also been found.

Tsunami and volcanoes also played an effective role in eradicating dinosaurs from the earth!

‘Chiksulub Crater’- A Mirror of the Past

History identifies the phenomenon of dinosaur extinction as a Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-PG) extinction phenomenon. It is to be remembered that 56 million years ago today, the giant dinosaurs that could not fly in this event lost their existence and became extinct from the earth. Along with dinosaurs, thousands of species of plants were also destroyed. Apart from dinosaurs, other living creatures also had to lose their existence on earth. The author of the research paper, Gary Kinsland, in an interview with the famous science general 'Science', said that even after the tsunami waves subsided, the wavelength lines of the waves were recorded in the pit of the 'Chicksulub Crater'.

Then a period of 2.50 crore years had passed. Evidence of a massive tsunami still lingers in the earth's crust. The Gulf of Mexico lies between Louisiana and the Chicksulub Crater. The research paper said the tsunami waves created by the meteorite collision were so severe that "the waves of the sea reached a height of 1.5 km." Earthquakes were caused by the kinetic energy of the ocean waves.

The quake measured 11 on the Richter scale. Which caused great damage to the surrounding area. The sea creatures reached the land. Land-dwelling organisms reached the sea. Millions of organisms died. From the Gulf of Mexico to the area where the collision occurred, the terrible tsunami continued for days. This phenomenon is considered a phenomenon of mass extinction.

'Alvarez Hypothesis'

Father and son were studying geology in the 180's. He also had a keen interest in ancient zoology. The extinct dinosaurs were also the subject of their study. He has given a theory describing the annihilation of dinosaurs. This theory is known as the 'Alvarez hypothesis'. Lewis and Walter Alvarez were examining a layer of past rocks known as the Cretaceous-Paleogene, or K-PG layer. Plenty of relics of iridium metal have been found in a strip of rock. It is very difficult to find this metal on earth. It is therefore considered a rare metal. But meteorites coming from outer space contain large amounts of iridium metal.

After examining this sample, Lewis and Walter Alvarez felt that an extraterrestrial object from outside the Earth was responsible for the Cretaceous-Paleogene, or K-PG, extinction phenomenon. After the hypothesis was released, the Chiksulub Crater was found on the Yucatan Peninsula near Mexico. Which provided the main basis for this theory. The ancient rocks of the Chiksulub Crater were rich in iridium. Scientists drilled in 2014 and obtained samples of rocks from a very deep depth, from which it was determined that the collision was so strong that some part of the rocks evaporated and flew into the atmosphere during the collision. Which had long survived in the atmosphere.

Paleontologists excavating in North Dakota in 2013 found a treasure trove of fossils very close to the K-PG border. Which showed that before the extinction, a beautiful ecosystem of living things had evolved. There were also found small pieces of glass called tectites. During the meteorite collision, fragments scattered from the rocks flew into the atmosphere due to the abundant heat. The rocks turned into glass. In short, not only biology but also geologists and ancient zoologists were involved in the extinction of dinosaurs. The new research presented now has found new information and evidence.

'Mega Ripples' of Tsunami

Cretaceous - A new research article on palaeogenesis (K-PG) has recently been published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters. Which shows that the dinosaur ceased to exist on Earth due to the collision of a meteorite from space. A massive meteorite collided with the Earth about 25 million years ago, causing a massive dust storm.

Which was spread in the earth's atmosphere in the form of a sheet of dust. The sun's rays could not reach the earth. The collision caused a massive tsunami in the Gulf of Mexico. Ocean waters spread over the North American continent.

Even after the catastrophic tsunami, the waves, which were 40 feet high, continued to rise for a long time. Which is associated with the extinction of dinosaurs from the earth. Tsunami and subsequent water waves are known as 'mega ripples'. Evidence of which has been found in aquifers. The lines of these rippling waves can be seen inside the sediments of aquifers in central Louisiana. Scientists at the University of Louisiana in the city of Fayetteville in Louisiana have found new evidence through seismic imaging. Excavations were being carried out by a petroleum company in central Louisiana.

At a depth of five thousand feet in the ground, the scientists obtained un-disturbed samples of rocks by drilling into the ground. Evidence of the existence of waves up to 20 feet high in an area of ​​about one and a half kilometers from seismic analysis of soil samples has been captured in the sedimentary rocks. A line was drawn over the horns of the 40-foot-high water waves. Extending this line in a straight line, it can be connected to the 'Chiksulub Crater' which is about 150 km away. Scientists associate the Chiksulub Crater with the extinction of the dinosaurs. The ‘Chicksulub Crater’ is a giant pit. Which is believed to have been caused by the collision of a meteorite from space.

Responsibility for volcanoes

Over time, mammals began to roam the earth. Man finally appeared on earth. Began to rule over other living things. In the Gulf of Mexico, in a place called Chiksulub, in the shallow waters of the sea, a meteorite collided. The tsunami started in the ocean 10 hours after the collision. The water turned around again in the form of a tsunami.

While clouds of mud and dust lingered in the atmosphere for a long time. In areas such as Argentina, far from the energy released by the collision, earthquakes and landslides were reported. When the meteorite collided with the Earth, plenty of heat was generated and the temperature rose. The eruption is said to have caused volcanic eruptions in some places. Volcanoes also played a role in the mass extinction of dinosaurs.

A research article on this subject has been published in the journal Nature in the past. Coming back to the basics, the sun disappeared for days, destroying the entire aquatic system of aquatic animals. The food chain to the organism was broken. Chaos was everywhere. According to an estimate, after a history of 150 million evolutions, the Earth's biological organisms, which reached a biological height, were destroyed in a period of only 30-40 years.

In other words, it took 150 million years for living things to reach a certain level, while it took only 30 to 40 years for them to end. This accident marked the end of the Mesozoic era. The age of dinosaurs on Earth was locked. Dinosaurs disappeared from the earth for future generations. Now, can only be seen in films in fictional form.