The Theory That Volcanoes Killed the Dinosaurs Is Officially Extinct

“Sixty-six million years ago, all dinosaurs (except for birds) were wiped from the face of the Earth…” writes Gizmodo. “What’s indisputable about this pivotal moment in Earth’s history is that a 6.2 to 9.3-mile-wide (10 to 15-kilometer) asteroid struck what is now modern-day Mexico. Around the same time, however, volcanoes in what is now India experienced some of the largest eruptions in Earth’s history.”

Those volcanos “have long been proposed as an alternative cause for the demise of the dinosaurs…” writes Phys.org. But “Now, climate scientists from Utrecht University and the University of Manchester show that while the volcanism caused a temporary cold period, the effects had already worn off thousands of years before the meteorite impacted.”

Earth scientists have fiercely debated for decades whether a massive outpouring of lava on the Indian continent, which occurred both prior to and after the meteorite impact, also contributed to the demise of dinosaur populations roaming Earth. These volcanic eruptions released vast amounts of CO2, dust, and sulfur, thereby significantly altering the climate on Earth — but in different ways and on different timescales to a meteorite impact. The new publication provides compelling evidence that while the volcanic eruptions in India had a clear impact on global climate, they likely had little to no effect on the mass extinction of the dinosaurs.

By analyzing fossil molecules in ancient peats from the United States of America, the scientific team reconstructed air temperatures for the time period covering both the volcanic eruptions and the meteorite impact. Using this method, the researchers show that a major volcanic eruption occurred about 30,000 years before the meteor impact, coinciding with at least a 5 degrees Celsius cooling of the climate… Importantly, the scientists discovered that by around 20,000 years before the meteorite impact, temperatures on Earth had already stabilized and had climbed back to similar temperatures before the volcanic eruptions started.

The study is published in the journal Science Advances. And Gizmodo shares this quote from Bart van Dongen of The University of Manchester, who worked on the research.

“The study provides vital insights not only into the past but could also help us find ways for how we might prepare for future climate changes or natural disasters.”