The total amount of dust, they calculated, was about 2,000 gigatonnes - exceeding 11 times the weight of Mt. "It was cold and dark for years," Vrije Universiteit Brussel planetary scientist and study co-author Philippe Claeys said. "While the sulfur stayed about eight to nine years, soot and silicate dust resided in the atmosphere for about 15 years after the impact. The asteroid, estimated at 6-9 miles (10-15 km) wide, brought a cataclysmic end to the Cretaceous Period. "Without the impact, my guess is that mammals - including us - had little chance to become the dominant organisms on this planet."

Source: The Hindu November 01, 2023 02:56 UTC