Meteoritic trace element toxification and the terminal Mesozoic mass extinction

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985 · Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States)

OSTI ID:6874454

Dickson, S M; Erickson, III, D J

Calculations of trace element fluxes to the earth associated with 5 and 10 kilometer diameter Cl chondrites and iron meteorites are presented. The data indicate that the masses of certain trace elements contained in the bolide, such as Fe, Co, Ni, Cr, Pb, and Cu, are as large as or larger than the world ocean burden. The authors believe that this pulse of trace elements was of sufficient magnitude to perturb the biogeochemical cycles operative 65 million years ago, a probably time of meteorite impact. Geochemical anomalies in Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary sediments suggest that elevated concentrations of trace elements may have persisted for thousands of years in the ocean. Through direct exposure and bioaccumulation, many trophic levels of the global food chain, including that of the dinosaurs, would have been adversely affected by these meteoritic trace elements. The trace element toxification hypothesis may account for the selective extinction of both marine and terrestrial species in the enigmatic terminal Mesozoic event.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Rhode Island, Narragansett (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6874454
• Report Number(s): CONF-8510489-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States) Journal Volume: 17
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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58 GEOSCIENCES
580400* -- Geochemistry-- (-1989)
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ANIMALS
BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BIOLOGICAL EXTINCTION
CHEMISTRY
CHONDRITES
CONTAMINATION
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC AGES
IRON METEORITES
MATERIALS
MESOZOIC ERA
METEORITES
MINERAL CYCLING
PLANTS
SEAS
STONE METEORITES
SURFACE WATERS
TOXIC MATERIALS
TOXICITY
TRACE AMOUNTS
WATER CHEMISTRY