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Mass Extinction Events Explained
Written by Karl Fabricius 
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Image: Moviefan1014
From a giant asteroid impact to a massive volcanic eruption, the threat of a mass extinction event looms over our heads like a sword of Damocles of earth-shattering proportions. However, a new study into catastrophic catalysts for mass extinction suggests that more than one kind of mega-event is needed to stand a decent chance of wiping out life on the planet.
Apocalypse how? Scientists think they have the answer
Photo:
Image via: io9
Io9 report on the study, which probes the underlying causes of mass extinction events like the one that eradicated 90 percent of life on earth way back in the Permian-Triassic period. The researchers argue that mass extinction is triggered by a combination of “pulse events” – sudden, deadly shocks like asteroid strikes – and “press events” such as climate change due to million-year-long volcanic eruptions. Cause for optimism? Maybe not when you consider that we’re already in a climate change press event of our own making. Let’s hope the powers that be invent a laser capable of taking out an asteroid before one lands to add fuel to the fire.
Zip over to I09 to find out more about the study and how the scientists made their discoveries.
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Comments
Donald Schindhelm (not verified) says:
Mar 10th, 2009 at 10pm
You say "mass extinction is triggered by a combination of “pulse events". Would you say Comet Showers classify as pulse events. I understand that evidence is growing that comets are tugged out of the Ort Belt, by increased gravity, after a galactic alignment with the earth, such as what will happen in 2012. And if evidence proves that our sun is a binary star, our twin star would heavily disrupt the ort belt to bring Comets en-mass into the interior realms of the solar system. NASSA - are you paying attention to this? DOD - It's time to stop worrying about Homeland Security and focus on Home Planet Security!
Simon Levek (not verified) says:
Mar 13th, 2009 at 12pm
This reminds me of the Time Magazine article done waaay back in 1985 titled "Did Comets Kill The Dinosaurs?" -- http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,967553,00.html
Of course Time is not a big name science journal, but it's interesting to note that a great deal of scientists rejected the periodicty of extinctions outright, despite Alverez proving the pausity of a bolide impact causing a mass extinction event.
Perhaps if the whole "Nemesis" invisible star theory hadn't been so readily published by the press of the time, then the periodicity of these extinctions could have been examined for what they were, rather than disproving the hypothesis by shooting down a more radical one
- (not verified) says:
Maybe not when you consider that we’re already in a climate change press event of our own making.
Think about what you wrote here, it sounds rediculous after the previous statement above it. Clearly climate change is a natural thing, there has been 6 mass extinctions due to it and hate to say it, but we are overdue for the next one. Im all for keeping our planet healthy, and understand the way human life has negatively impacted it, but leave the Al Gore bullshit for another site.