Reduced contribution of sulfur to the mass extinction associated with the Chicxulub impact event
Abstract The Chicxulub asteroid impact event at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary ~66 Myr ago is widely considered responsible for the mass extinction event leading to the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs. Short-term cooling due to massive release of climate-active agents is hypothesized to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55145-6 |
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| author | Katerina Rodiouchkina Steven Goderis Cem Berk Senel Pim Kaskes Özgür Karatekin Michael Ernst Böttcher Ilia Rodushkin Johan Vellekoop Philippe Claeys Frank Vanhaecke |
| author_facet | Katerina Rodiouchkina Steven Goderis Cem Berk Senel Pim Kaskes Özgür Karatekin Michael Ernst Böttcher Ilia Rodushkin Johan Vellekoop Philippe Claeys Frank Vanhaecke |
| author_sort | Katerina Rodiouchkina |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The Chicxulub asteroid impact event at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary ~66 Myr ago is widely considered responsible for the mass extinction event leading to the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs. Short-term cooling due to massive release of climate-active agents is hypothesized to have been crucial, with S-bearing gases originating from the target rock vaporization considered an important driving force. Yet, the magnitude of the S release remains poorly constrained. Here we empirically estimate the amount of impact-released S relying on the concentration of S and its isotopic composition within the impact structure and a set of terrestrial K-Pg boundary ejecta sites. The average value of 67 ± 39 Gt obtained is ~5-fold lower than previous numerical estimates. The lower mass of S-released may indicate a less prominent role for S emission leading to a milder impact winter with key implications for species survival during the first years following the impact. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2d5b6c0c74744a90a700e666c06b4634 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-2d5b6c0c74744a90a700e666c06b46342025-01-19T12:31:48ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-01-0116111510.1038/s41467-024-55145-6Reduced contribution of sulfur to the mass extinction associated with the Chicxulub impact eventKaterina Rodiouchkina0Steven Goderis1Cem Berk Senel2Pim Kaskes3Özgür Karatekin4Michael Ernst Böttcher5Ilia Rodushkin6Johan Vellekoop7Philippe Claeys8Frank Vanhaecke9Atomic and Mass Spectrometry—A&MS research unit, Department of Chemistry, Ghent UniversityArchaeology, Environmental Changes & Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit BrusselArchaeology, Environmental Changes & Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit BrusselArchaeology, Environmental Changes & Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit BrusselReference Systems and Planetology Department, Royal Observatory of BelgiumGeochemistry & Isotope Biogeochemistry, Leibniz-Institute for Baltic Sea Research (IOW)Division of Geosciences, Luleå University of TechnologyDivision of Geology, KU LeuvenArchaeology, Environmental Changes & Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit BrusselAtomic and Mass Spectrometry—A&MS research unit, Department of Chemistry, Ghent UniversityAbstract The Chicxulub asteroid impact event at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary ~66 Myr ago is widely considered responsible for the mass extinction event leading to the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs. Short-term cooling due to massive release of climate-active agents is hypothesized to have been crucial, with S-bearing gases originating from the target rock vaporization considered an important driving force. Yet, the magnitude of the S release remains poorly constrained. Here we empirically estimate the amount of impact-released S relying on the concentration of S and its isotopic composition within the impact structure and a set of terrestrial K-Pg boundary ejecta sites. The average value of 67 ± 39 Gt obtained is ~5-fold lower than previous numerical estimates. The lower mass of S-released may indicate a less prominent role for S emission leading to a milder impact winter with key implications for species survival during the first years following the impact.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55145-6 |
| spellingShingle | Katerina Rodiouchkina Steven Goderis Cem Berk Senel Pim Kaskes Özgür Karatekin Michael Ernst Böttcher Ilia Rodushkin Johan Vellekoop Philippe Claeys Frank Vanhaecke Reduced contribution of sulfur to the mass extinction associated with the Chicxulub impact event Nature Communications |
| title | Reduced contribution of sulfur to the mass extinction associated with the Chicxulub impact event |
| title_full | Reduced contribution of sulfur to the mass extinction associated with the Chicxulub impact event |
| title_fullStr | Reduced contribution of sulfur to the mass extinction associated with the Chicxulub impact event |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reduced contribution of sulfur to the mass extinction associated with the Chicxulub impact event |
| title_short | Reduced contribution of sulfur to the mass extinction associated with the Chicxulub impact event |
| title_sort | reduced contribution of sulfur to the mass extinction associated with the chicxulub impact event |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-55145-6 |
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