The Chicxulub Asteroid Impact and Mass Extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary

Peter Schulte; Laia Alegret; Ignacio Arenillas; Jose A. Arz; Penny J. Barton; Paul R. Bown; Timothy J. Bralower; Gail L. Christeson; Philippe Claeys; Charles S. Cockell; Gareth S. Collins; Alexander Deutsch; Tamara J. Goldin; Kazuhisa Goto; Jose M. Grajales-Nishimura; Richard A. F. Grieve; Sean P. S. Gulick; Kirk R. Johnson; Wolfgang Kiessling; Christian Koeberl; David A. Kring; Kenneth G. MacLeod; Takafumi Matsui; Jay Melosh; Alessandro Montanari; Joanna V. Morgan; Clive R. Neal; Douglas J. Nichols; Richard D. Norris; Elisabetta Pierazzo; Greg Ravizza; Mario Rebolledo-Vieyra; Wolf Uwe Reimold; Eric Robin; Tobias Salge; Robert P. Speijer; Arthur R. Sweet; Jaime Urrutia-Fucugauchi; Vivi Vajda; Michael T. Whalen; Pi Willumsen

doi:10.1126/science.1177265

The Chicxulub Asteroid Impact and Mass Extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary

Peter Schulte, Laia Alegret, Ignacio Arenillas, Jose A. Arz, Penny J. Barton, Paul R. Bown, Timothy J. Bralower, Gail L. Christeson, Philippe Claeys, Charles S. Cockell, Gareth S. Collins, Alexander Deutsch, Tamara J. Goldin, Kazuhisa Goto, Jose M. Grajales-Nishimura, Richard A. F. Grieve, Sean P. S. Gulick, Kirk R. Johnson, Wolfgang Kiessling, Christian KoeberlDavid A. Kring, Kenneth G. MacLeod, Takafumi Matsui, Jay Melosh, Alessandro Montanari, Joanna V. Morgan, Clive R. Neal, Douglas J. Nichols, Richard D. Norris, Elisabetta Pierazzo, Greg Ravizza, Mario Rebolledo-Vieyra, Wolf Uwe Reimold, Eric Robin, Tobias Salge, Robert P. Speijer, Arthur R. Sweet, Jaime Urrutia-Fucugauchi, Vivi Vajda, Michael T. Whalen, Pi Willumsen

Lithosphere and Biosphere Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary similar to 65.5 million years ago marks one of the three largest mass extinctions in the past 500 million years. The extinction event coincided with a large asteroid impact at Chicxulub, Mexico, and occurred within the time of Deccan flood basalt volcanism in India. Here, we synthesize records of the global stratigraphy across this boundary to assess the proposed causes of the mass extinction. Notably, a single ejecta-rich deposit compositionally linked to the Chicxulub impact is globally distributed at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. The temporal match between the ejecta layer and the onset of the extinctions and the agreement of ecological patterns in the fossil record with modeled environmental perturbations (for example, darkness and cooling) lead us to conclude that the Chicxulub impact triggered the mass extinction.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1214-1218
Journal	Science
Volume	327
Issue number	5970
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1177265
Publication status	Published - 2010

Subject classification (UKÄ)

Geology

Access to Document

10.1126/science.1177265

Cite this

Schulte, P., Alegret, L., Arenillas, I., Arz, J. A., Barton, P. J., Bown, P. R., Bralower, T. J., Christeson, G. L., Claeys, P., Cockell, C. S., Collins, G. S., Deutsch, A., Goldin, T. J., Goto, K., Grajales-Nishimura, J. M., Grieve, R. A. F., Gulick, S. P. S., Johnson, K. R., Kiessling, W., ... Willumsen, P. (2010). The Chicxulub Asteroid Impact and Mass Extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary. Science, 327(5970), 1214-1218. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1177265

@article{6c20a4b409454170bb441497aeb196c3,

title = "The Chicxulub Asteroid Impact and Mass Extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary",

abstract = "The Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary similar to 65.5 million years ago marks one of the three largest mass extinctions in the past 500 million years. The extinction event coincided with a large asteroid impact at Chicxulub, Mexico, and occurred within the time of Deccan flood basalt volcanism in India. Here, we synthesize records of the global stratigraphy across this boundary to assess the proposed causes of the mass extinction. Notably, a single ejecta-rich deposit compositionally linked to the Chicxulub impact is globally distributed at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. The temporal match between the ejecta layer and the onset of the extinctions and the agreement of ecological patterns in the fossil record with modeled environmental perturbations (for example, darkness and cooling) lead us to conclude that the Chicxulub impact triggered the mass extinction.",

author = "Peter Schulte and Laia Alegret and Ignacio Arenillas and Arz, {Jose A.} and Barton, {Penny J.} and Bown, {Paul R.} and Bralower, {Timothy J.} and Christeson, {Gail L.} and Philippe Claeys and Cockell, {Charles S.} and Collins, {Gareth S.} and Alexander Deutsch and Goldin, {Tamara J.} and Kazuhisa Goto and Grajales-Nishimura, {Jose M.} and Grieve, {Richard A. F.} and Gulick, {Sean P. S.} and Johnson, {Kirk R.} and Wolfgang Kiessling and Christian Koeberl and Kring, {David A.} and MacLeod, {Kenneth G.} and Takafumi Matsui and Jay Melosh and Alessandro Montanari and Morgan, {Joanna V.} and Neal, {Clive R.} and Nichols, {Douglas J.} and Norris, {Richard D.} and Elisabetta Pierazzo and Greg Ravizza and Mario Rebolledo-Vieyra and Reimold, {Wolf Uwe} and Eric Robin and Tobias Salge and Speijer, {Robert P.} and Sweet, {Arthur R.} and Jaime Urrutia-Fucugauchi and Vivi Vajda and Whalen, {Michael T.} and Pi Willumsen",

year = "2010",

doi = "10.1126/science.1177265",

language = "English",

volume = "327",

pages = "1214--1218",

journal = "Science",

issn = "1095-9203",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)",

number = "5970",

}

Schulte, P, Alegret, L, Arenillas, I, Arz, JA, Barton, PJ, Bown, PR, Bralower, TJ, Christeson, GL, Claeys, P, Cockell, CS, Collins, GS, Deutsch, A, Goldin, TJ, Goto, K, Grajales-Nishimura, JM, Grieve, RAF, Gulick, SPS, Johnson, KR, Kiessling, W, Koeberl, C, Kring, DA, MacLeod, KG, Matsui, T, Melosh, J, Montanari, A, Morgan, JV, Neal, CR, Nichols, DJ, Norris, RD, Pierazzo, E, Ravizza, G, Rebolledo-Vieyra, M, Reimold, WU, Robin, E, Salge, T, Speijer, RP, Sweet, AR, Urrutia-Fucugauchi, J, Vajda, V, Whalen, MT & Willumsen, P 2010, 'The Chicxulub Asteroid Impact and Mass Extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary', Science, vol. 327, no. 5970, pp. 1214-1218. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1177265

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Chicxulub Asteroid Impact and Mass Extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary

AU - Schulte, Peter

AU - Alegret, Laia

AU - Arenillas, Ignacio

AU - Arz, Jose A.

AU - Barton, Penny J.

AU - Bown, Paul R.

AU - Bralower, Timothy J.

AU - Christeson, Gail L.

AU - Claeys, Philippe

AU - Cockell, Charles S.

AU - Collins, Gareth S.

AU - Deutsch, Alexander

AU - Goldin, Tamara J.

AU - Goto, Kazuhisa

AU - Grajales-Nishimura, Jose M.

AU - Grieve, Richard A. F.

AU - Gulick, Sean P. S.

AU - Johnson, Kirk R.

AU - Kiessling, Wolfgang

AU - Koeberl, Christian

AU - Kring, David A.

AU - MacLeod, Kenneth G.

AU - Matsui, Takafumi

AU - Melosh, Jay

AU - Montanari, Alessandro

AU - Morgan, Joanna V.

AU - Neal, Clive R.

AU - Nichols, Douglas J.

AU - Norris, Richard D.

AU - Pierazzo, Elisabetta

AU - Ravizza, Greg

AU - Rebolledo-Vieyra, Mario

AU - Reimold, Wolf Uwe

AU - Robin, Eric

AU - Salge, Tobias

AU - Speijer, Robert P.

AU - Sweet, Arthur R.

AU - Urrutia-Fucugauchi, Jaime

AU - Vajda, Vivi

AU - Whalen, Michael T.

AU - Willumsen, Pi

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - The Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary similar to 65.5 million years ago marks one of the three largest mass extinctions in the past 500 million years. The extinction event coincided with a large asteroid impact at Chicxulub, Mexico, and occurred within the time of Deccan flood basalt volcanism in India. Here, we synthesize records of the global stratigraphy across this boundary to assess the proposed causes of the mass extinction. Notably, a single ejecta-rich deposit compositionally linked to the Chicxulub impact is globally distributed at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. The temporal match between the ejecta layer and the onset of the extinctions and the agreement of ecological patterns in the fossil record with modeled environmental perturbations (for example, darkness and cooling) lead us to conclude that the Chicxulub impact triggered the mass extinction.

AB - The Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary similar to 65.5 million years ago marks one of the three largest mass extinctions in the past 500 million years. The extinction event coincided with a large asteroid impact at Chicxulub, Mexico, and occurred within the time of Deccan flood basalt volcanism in India. Here, we synthesize records of the global stratigraphy across this boundary to assess the proposed causes of the mass extinction. Notably, a single ejecta-rich deposit compositionally linked to the Chicxulub impact is globally distributed at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. The temporal match between the ejecta layer and the onset of the extinctions and the agreement of ecological patterns in the fossil record with modeled environmental perturbations (for example, darkness and cooling) lead us to conclude that the Chicxulub impact triggered the mass extinction.

U2 - 10.1126/science.1177265

DO - 10.1126/science.1177265

M3 - Article

SN - 1095-9203

VL - 327

SP - 1214

EP - 1218

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 5970

ER -

The Chicxulub Asteroid Impact and Mass Extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary

Abstract

Subject classification (UKÄ)

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this