1.1980s, most scientists: no catastrophic geological process caused extinction
-geologist: sea level drop coincidence, climate change->extinction
2. view changed- discory of iridium
-iridium rare on surface, common in meteorites
-large meteorite-->trigger extinction
3.current evidence support new theory: volcanic eruption
-co2->climate change
-rock heated-> portions escape-diapirs->erupt violently
4. volcanic eruption theory:
-accounts for iridium
-explain: low regions of Earth's mantle same composition
-explain: sea level: before-sea level gradually fell; distortion of earth's surface;
To address the causes of the extinction of dinosaurs:
Before 1980
- Scientists: no catastrophic geological process -> extinction
- Geologists: sea level drop -> climate change -> extinction
In 1980
- Meteorite impact theory: meteorite impact -> climate -> extinction
- Discovery of iridium (rare on Earth, common in meteorites) - challenging Geologists
New theory
- Volcanic eruption theory: eruption -> CO2 -> climate change -> extinction
- Helps to explain the precedent theories
- volcanic eruption -> iridium beneath earth turns into gas (dispersing more uniformly vs iridium from meteorite impact)
- volcanic eruption -> distortion in earth's surface -> sea level drop -> extinction
P1 1980年以前:海平面下降理论
66百万年前(侏罗纪的末尾)大部分科学家并不认为是毁灭性的地理事件导致恐龙灭亡,而是海平面的突然下降→气候变化→海洋生物和恐龙灭亡
catastrophic 灾难性的
P2 1980:meteorites理论
发现侏罗纪晚期的iridium化石→iridium在地球岩层罕见但在meteorites→大meteorites改变气候→恐龙灭亡
clay黏土,陶土 iridium铱 meteorite陨石,流星
P3 新理论:火山喷发理论
印度火山大规模喷发→喷发的化合物导致气候变化→恐龙灭亡
解释diapir
Earth’s core地核 Earth’s mantle地幔 Earth’s crust地壳 blob一点,一滴;一小片 outpouring(感情的)迸发,倾泻;涌现,喷涌
P4 火山喷发理论和其他理论的关系
可以解释第二个理论,还可以解释第二个理论解释不了的
可能解释第一个理论
distortion畸变,扭曲 diapir【地质】挤入构造 mantle地幔 cataclysmic灾难性的
sedimentary deposit沉积矿床
As the rock that constitutes this layer is heated by the Earth's core, it becomes less dense and portions of it eventually escape upward as bobs or molten rock, called "diapirs," that can, under certain circumstances, erupt violently through the Earth's crust.
当构成地幔层的岩石被地核加热时,其密度会降低,部分岩石最终会向上逸出,形成被称为 "二漩涡 "的熔岩,在某些情况下,这些熔岩会穿过地壳猛烈喷发。