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Even if oil contributed to the larger mass extinction, the dinosaurs were dead within hours, not days. The impact alone would have heated the entire atmosphere

Even if oil contributed to the larger mass extinction, the dinosaurs were dead within hours, not days. The impact alone would have heated the entire atmosphere to about the temperature of an oven.

Intermernet 10y ago
Probably longer than that: >The length of time taken for the extinction to occur is a controversial issue, because some theories about the extinction's causes require a rapid extinction over a relatively short period (from a few years to a few thousand years) while others require longer periods.[1] [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cretaceous%E2%80%93Paleogene_extinction_event#Duration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cretaceous%E2%80%93Paleogene_e...
- Retric 10y ago
  180 kilometers (110 miles) in diameter and 20 km (12 mi) in depth. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicxulub_crater#Effects https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicxulub_crater#Effects World wide wildfires, followed by years of minimal sunlight. That would quickly kill most plant life, and 99+% of everything larger than a badger in the first year. Ocean life would be somewhat insulated from the effect and predators can survive on prey or other predators for a while. But, this is not something that got better in the first year. PS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva_crater https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva_crater is another contender, but it's almost to large.
zphds 10y ago
Radiolab did an awesome puppet-show/episode on this topic. [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYoqtBEzuiQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYoqtBEzuiQ
- InclinedPlane 10y ago
  Indeed, that's a pretty good accessible overview. Most people can't comprehend the amount of energy involved in such an impact, but it would have spelled doom for the vast majority of above ground animals. Literally roasting them alive and killing so many of them that even if a few got lucky and survived they wouldn't have been a viable species. As to the aftermath and the impact on all the other organisms, that's likely a much more complicated story which we still haven't worked the details out of.

Even if oil contributed to the larger mass extinction, the dinosaurs were dead within hours, not days. The impact alone would have heated the entire atmosphere to about the temperature of an oven.

Intermernet 10y ago

Probably longer than that: >The length of time taken for the extinction to occur is a controversial issue, because some theories about the extinction's causes require a rapid extinction over a relatively short period (from a few years to a few thousand years) while others require longer periods.[1] [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cretaceous%E2%80%93Paleogene_extinction_event#Duration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cretaceous%E2%80%93Paleogene_e...

Retric 10y ago
180 kilometers (110 miles) in diameter and 20 km (12 mi) in depth. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicxulub_crater#Effects https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicxulub_crater#Effects World wide wildfires, followed by years of minimal sunlight. That would quickly kill most plant life, and 99+% of everything larger than a badger in the first year. Ocean life would be somewhat insulated from the effect and predators can survive on prey or other predators for a while. But, this is not something that got better in the first year. PS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva_crater https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva_crater is another contender, but it's almost to large.

zphds 10y ago

Radiolab did an awesome puppet-show/episode on this topic. [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYoqtBEzuiQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYoqtBEzuiQ

InclinedPlane 10y ago
Indeed, that's a pretty good accessible overview. Most people can't comprehend the amount of energy involved in such an impact, but it would have spelled doom for the vast majority of above ground animals. Literally roasting them alive and killing so many of them that even if a few got lucky and survived they wouldn't have been a viable species. As to the aftermath and the impact on all the other organisms, that's likely a much more complicated story which we still haven't worked the details out of.