Permian-Triassic impact found

[blobrana]

Researchers funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation have located the site of an impact crater. The crater is believed to be associated with the largest extinction event in Earth's history about 251 million years ago; caused by an asteroid roughly 3.7 to 7.5 miles (6 to 12 kilometers) wide...

The Permian-Triassic impact on the giant landmass, called Pangaea, was the most severe mass extinction in the history of life on Earth.
They used a new extraterrestrial tracer, fullerene,(a third form of carbon besides diamond and graphite) to locate the site.

The researchers will report their findings and reveal the site of the crater at 2 p.m. EDT, Thursday, May 13, 2004, during a press teleconference.

Hum, but my guess it`s on Antarctica, or off the coast of China and Japan... :-)


Any takers?

[QuikSanz]

Hi,

I'll bite. Ok lets say that 250+ million years ago a small planetoid actually struck. The crack could go all round what is now longitude. This could change magnetic north and Earth rotation. this could explain the slight wobble that makes the north star only temporary, (in geological time). This object could also add to the core and water content which would add to overall size of the planet. That would explain why the puzzle could not be put back together again. Well it sounds good anyway.

Cheers,
Chris

[Speelgoedmannetje]

largest extinction event in Earth's history about 251 million years ago

Weren't the dinosaurs extinct about 65 million years ago (as being the largest extinction event)?

blobrana wrote:
Hum, but my guess it`s on Antarctica, or off the coast of China and Japan... :-)

:-?
Isn't it the bay of Mexico (as being the crater)?

[whabang]

No, Speel, that's another crater/mass extinction.

[KennyR]

The Permian extinction is currently believed to be the result of methane hydrate deposits boiling off when the climate was warmed by global warming becaused by super-volcanism. This caused even more warming and the Earth scorched off most of its life. Even though this theory is being attacked right now, I didn't even think they were looking for an impact crater. To be honest, an impact doesn't sound likely to cause the Permian extinction. It would have to be too large and have likely burned off the atmosphere totally.

Speelgoedmannetje wrote:
Weren't the dinosaurs extinct about 65 million years ago (as being the largest extinction event)?

No, far from it. The Jurassic extinction event that killed the dinosaurs killed 35% of species on earth. The Permian one killed 90%.

[blobrana]

Yea , i agree that a lava flow that covered the whole of siberia and india would have had a nasty effect on the life-forms...

But, i also sure that the `fullerenes` that they found (everywhere in Permian strata)  indicate that something did crash into us, and, that would have added to the stress of the animals & plants...


Hum, thinking about the crash-site... it`s probably china...

 :-)


Ah ! they have the website up and running now...
http://spacekids.hq.nasa.gov/astrobio/

beckerImpact is the  password, if one is needed....

[blobrana]

Hum,
how predictable....

http://www.geocities.com/goarana669/permianextinction.html

http://spacekids.hq.nasa.gov/astrobio/images/LB-1a-high.jpg

Oh well, you heard it here first...

[Tigger]

KennyR wrote:

Speelgoedmannetje wrote:
Weren't the dinosaurs extinct about 65 million years ago (as being the largest extinction event)?

No, far from it. The Jurassic extinction event that killed the dinosaurs killed 35% of species on earth. The Permian one killed 90%.

The Jurassic extinction event (or Triassic-Jurassic extinction event as its more correctly called) did not kill off the dinosaurs or occur 65 million years ago, you have been watching too much Speilberg.  The C-T event which did kill off the dinosaurs wiped about 50% of the species from the planet, including wiping out the dominant dinosaur species.
   -Tig

[blobrana]

Hum,
i think the hip way of saying the Cretaceous-Tertiary Mass Extinction event is the K-T event...






Arn`t we overdue

?