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Were all extinction events caused by impacts?Extraterrestrial impacts are firmly implicated in several of the five major Phanerozoic extinction events. A critical issue now is whether extraterrestrial events have been the only mechanism that produced physical changes of sufficient magnitude to cause major extinction events. While we believe the evidence is overwhelming that the KT extinction event was caused by an impact, we also find that an event of similar or larger size near the end of the Ordovician is best explained by terrestrial causes. The Ordovician extinction event (End-O extinction event) occurred near the end of the Ordovician, but the interval of extinction was completed prior to the newly established Ordovician-Silurian boundary. In spite of extensive field studies, a convincing signature of an associated impact has not been found. However, a prominent glaciation does coincide with the End-O extinction event.
Document ID
19940023808
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Sheehan, P. M.
(Wisconsin Univ. Milwaukee, WI, United States)
Coorough, P. J.
(Wisconsin Univ. Milwaukee, WI, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1994
Publication Information
Publication: Houston Univ., New Developments Regarding the KT Event and Other Catastrophes in Earth History
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
94N28311
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF EAR-90-04589
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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