In view ofthese facts, scientists hypothesized that a single large asteroid, about 10 to15 kilometers across, collided with Earth, and the resulting fallout createdthe boundary clay. Their calculations show that the impact kicked up a dustcloud that cut off sunlight for several months, inhibiting photosynthesis inplants; decreased surface temperatures on continents to below freezing; causedextreme episodes of acid rain; and significantly raised long-term globaltemperatures through the greenhouse effect. This disruption of food chain andclimate would have eradicated the dinosaurs and other organisms in less thanfifty years.
恐龙的灭绝
很长时间以来,古生物学家们认为恐龙的灭亡是与因地质构造而引起的海洋和大陆位置变迁相关的气候变化所致。在整个白垩纪,广阔的浅海覆盖了大量的陆地。各方面的数据,包括海床沉积中的地理化学证据,都表明白垩纪后期的气候比现在的气候要温和得多。白天不是很热,夜间也不是很寒冷。夏天不是太炎热,而冬天也不是太寒冷。大陆上的浅海可能使其附近的空气少受影响,以保持相对稳定的温度。
在白垩纪后期,地质资料表明这些浅海都从大陆退回到主要的海洋盆地内了,没有人明白为什么。大约在100000年内,海洋收缩了,世界的气候也随之变得更极端:白天更热,夜间更冷,夏天更热,冬天更冷。恐龙或许就是因为无法忍受这种严峻的气温变化因而灭绝。
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