Best place to see the K-T boundary

C

Cypress

Well-known member
Remarkable to realize an inconspicuous little clay layer represents the fallout from arguably the most catastrophic event in Earth's geologic history.

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The Trinidad Lake site (Colorado) is one of the best places in the world to view the famous K-Pg boundary layer clay, it's also one of the most accessible. A quarter-mile (0.5 km) level trail takes you from the trailhead to the site which is marked by a nice explanatory sign. Here the boundary is clearly exposed just below a layer of protective sandstone caprock. The boundary layer clay here contains abundant evidence of the catastrophic asteroid impact that likely caused the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs along with perhaps 75 percent of all other species living at that time, roughly 66 million years ago. Such evidence includes high levels of the rare element iridium, shocked quartz grains, glassy microtektites, a pronounced decrease in the pollen of higher plants, and a sharp spike in fern spores
 
I still remember the day my brother told me scientists had discovered a catastrophic asteroid impact had offed the dinosaurs, and how electrifying that information was.

Our generation grew up obsessed with dinosaurs and our teachers told us that the reason they disappeared was a great mystery.
 
Cypress said:
I still remember the day my brother told me scientists had discovered a catastrophic asteroid impact had offed the dinosaurs, and how electrifying that information was.

Our generation grew up obsessed with dinosaurs and our teachers told us that the reason they disappeared was a great mystery.
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I remember learning about that too and was fascinated...and a little disturbed to learn Space Rocks could wipe us out at any moment.
 
Doc Dutch said:
It was where I first learned the word, and element, "iridium".
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Not exactly an element one hears much about in chemistry class.

I don't know much about plants, but I assume the decrease in fossilized pollen and the spike in fern spores refered to in the article must have something to do with the persistence of atmospheric ash and ferns being able to metabolize without direct sunlight.
 
Cypress said:
Not exactly an element one hears much about in chemistry class.

I don't know much about plants, but I assume the decrease in fossilized pollen and the spike in fern spores refered to in the article must have something to do with the persistence of atmospheric ash and ferns being able to metabolize without direct sunlight.
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That's my understanding also. The theory is backed up by the 1816 "Year without a Summer", thought to have been caused by the ash spewed into the atmosphere from the massive Mount Tambora eruption. The links below give more details with the second one giving specific effects upon New England.

My understanding is that the Nuclear Winter theory is based upon volcanic eruption after effects. The eruptions give credence to the demise of the dinosaurs by a years long winter that killed off vegetation. Kill off algae in the oceans or plants on land and the effects will work their way up the food chain.


https://www.thoughtco.com/the-year-without-a-summer-1773771
When the volcano at Mount Tambora erupted it was a massive and terrifying event which killed tens of thousands of people. It was actually a larger volcanic eruption than the eruption at Krakatoa decades later.

The Krakatoa disaster has always overshadowed Mount Tambora for a simple reason: the news of Krakatoa traveled quickly by telegraph and appeared in newspapers quickly. By comparison, people in Europe and North America only heard about Mount Tambora months later. And the event did not hold much meaning for them.

It was not until well into the 20th century that scientists began to link the two events, the eruption of Mount Tambora and the Year Without a Summer. There have been scientists who dispute or discount the relationship between the volcano and the crop failures on the other side of the world the following year, but most scientific thought finds the link credible.
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https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/1816-year-without-a-summer/
Frozen birds dropped dead in the fields. Some Vermont farmers who had already shorn their sheep tried to tie their fleeces back on, but many froze to death anyway....The frost destroyed the bean crop in Franconia, N.H., and bean, cucumber and squash crops in Kennebunkport, Maine. Young plants grew so slowly they were vulnerable to frost, and farmers harvested so little hay they had to slaughter their livestock or feed them oats and corn....
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Doc Dutch said:
That's my understanding also. The theory is backed up by the 1816 "Year without a Summer", thought to have been caused by the ash spewed into the atmosphere from the massive Mount Tambora eruption. The links below give more details with the second one giving specific effects upon New England.

My understanding is that the Nuclear Winter theory is based upon volcanic eruption after effects. The eruptions give credence to the demise of the dinosaurs by a years long winter that killed off vegetation. Kill off algae in the oceans or plants on land and the effects will work their way up the food chain.


https://www.thoughtco.com/the-year-without-a-summer-1773771


https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/1816-year-without-a-summer/
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There was a huge volcanic eruption in the South Pacific in the early 1990s that in my memory, dropped average global temperatures about 1C that season, and I still remember the spectacular sunsets that year from atmospheric ash diffracting sunlight
 
Cypress said:
There was a huge volcanic eruption in the South Pacific in the early 1990s that in my memory, dropped average global temperatures about 1C that season, and I still remember the spectacular sunsets that year from atmospheric ash diffracting sunlight
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With all the concern about global warming, should we consider nuking Russia, Iran and North Korea? It'd be a twofer. LOL
 
Doc Dutch said:
With all the concern about global warming, should we consider nuking Russia, Iran and North Korea? It'd be a twofer. LOL
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I read this. Interesting. Then see all your liberal responses???????????????????????? Kill yourselves
now you ignorant fucks.
 
Sailor said:
I read this. Interesting. Then see all your liberal responses???????????????????????? Kill yourselves
now you ignorant fucks.
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Interesting.

MAGAt rule #10 Anyone Left of Alt-Right is a Liberal, Marxist, Socialist traitor. Kill them!
 
Doc Dutch said:
Interesting.

MAGAt rule #10 Anyone Left of Alt-Right is a Liberal, Marxist, Socialist traitor. Kill them!
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He’s missed some of our exchanges, if he labels you a liberal. I’d say you’re hard to label, very conservative on some issues and moderately social on some issues, and irritating on others ;)
 
Phantasmal said:
He’s missed some of our exchanges, if he labels you a liberal.

I’d say you’re hard to label, very conservative on some issues and moderately social on some issues, and irritating on others ;)
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Probably not. Unless a person toes the far Right wall in MAGA world, then that person is a "Leftie".

You know me!!! :laugh: I consider myself to be socially liberal and fiscally, politically and militarily conservative. Socially liberal = freedom to be one self. The only stipulation being "don't hurt anyone else". Notice how all the MAGAts hate and seek to suppress anyone who isn't identical to themselves.
 
Doc Dutch said:
Feel free to drink until your liver explodes, Popeye! :clink:
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Once again. You bring up drinking. Your excuse for being a limp dick liberal and never serving. The guilt gets to you. Never served mother fucker. PM me. I can help with you dealing with that. Wimpy.
 
Sailor said:
Once again. You bring up drinking. Your excuse for being a limp dick liberal and never serving. The guilt gets to you. Never served mother fucker. PM me. I can help with you dealing with that. Wimpy.
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You're obviously drunk again...or drugged. I've never heard of fights started by pot heads, but I've had to deal with a lot of belligerent drunks. Usually there's a reason; with some it was alcoholism, but usually it was some form of emotional disappointment such as a love interest left them, they didn't get the orders they wanted or they failed to promote.

Given your age, history, and past behavior, I'm thinking your problem is medically related; age being a major factor. Are they lopping parts off of you, Popeye? Are you hooked up 24/7 to an O2 bottle? What misery in your life is driving you to be so hateful to others?

Sailor said:
PM me. I can help with you dealing with that. Wimpy.
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What's with the PM BS all the time? If you are so anxious for a private conversation, why no PM me, son?
 
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