Chicxulub and the K-Pg Extinction
Learning Objective
I can describe the evidence that supports the Chicxulub impact as the cause of the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event.
Key Concepts
The Chicxulub asteroid, approximately 6 miles wide, slammed into the coast of Mexico about 66 million years ago.
The impact of the asteroid created a shock wave that ruptured lungs within a 1500 mile radius and produced energy equivalent to 100 trillion tons of TNT.
The impact sent molten debris, called tektites, into the atmosphere, triggering earthquakes as high as 11 on the Richter scale and leading to volcanic eruptions.
Practice Questions
This lesson includes 12 practice questions to reinforce learning.
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1. What was the approximate size of the Chicxulub asteroid that impacted Earth?
2. Describe the immediate effects of the Chicxulub impact on the surrounding area, including the formation of tektites.
3. What evidence found at the North Dakota fossil site (Tanis) supports the Chicxulub impact theory?
...and 9 more questions
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A Breakdown of the Asteroid That Wiped Out the Dinosaurs
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