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Title: Sea water strontium isotopes, acid rain, and the cretaceous-tertiary boundary

Journal Article · · Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States)

A large bolide impact at the end of the Cretaceous would have produced significant amounts of nitrogen oxides by shock heating of the atmosphere. The resulting acid precipitation would have increased continental weathering greatly and could be an explanation for the observed high ratio of strontium-87 to strontium-86 in sea water at about this time, due to the dissolution of large amounts of strontium from the continental crust. Spikes to high values in the sea water strontium isotope record at other times may reflect similar episodes. 17 references, 1 figure, 1 table.

Research Organization:
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA (USA)
OSTI ID:
7141138
Journal Information:
Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States), Vol. 239
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English