The biotic effects of large bolide impacts: size versus time and place
Abstract In estimating the biotic effects of large terrestrial impacts we are reliant upon apparent crater diameter as a proxy for impact magnitude. This underlies the ‘kill-curve’ approach which graphs crater diameter directly against likely percentage losses of taxa. However, crater diameter is a...
Published in: | International Journal of Astrobiology |
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2008
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1473550408004266 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1473550408004266 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s1473550408004266 2023-05-15T15:13:59+02:00 The biotic effects of large bolide impacts: size versus time and place Walkden, Gordon Parker, Julian 2008 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1473550408004266 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1473550408004266 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms International Journal of Astrobiology volume 7, issue 3-4, page 209-215 ISSN 1473-5504 1475-3006 Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) Space and Planetary Science Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous) Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics journal-article 2008 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550408004266 2023-02-24T07:14:11Z Abstract In estimating the biotic effects of large terrestrial impacts we are reliant upon apparent crater diameter as a proxy for impact magnitude. This underlies the ‘kill-curve’ approach which graphs crater diameter directly against likely percentage losses of taxa. However, crater diameter is a complex product of syn- and post-impact processes that can be site-dependent. Furthermore, location (global positioning) and timing (moment in geological history) also strongly influence biotic effects. We examine four of our largest and best-documented Phanerozoic impacts to explore this more holistic size–time–place relationship. Only the c. 180 km end-Cretaceous Chicxulub crater (Mexico) links to any substantial immediate extinction and some of the worst effects stem from where it struck the planet (a continental margin carbonate platform site) and when (a time of high regional and global biodiversity). Both the c. 100 km late Triassic Manicouagan crater in NE Canada (arid continental interior, low regional and world biodiversity) and the c. 35 Ma 100 km Popigai crater, Siberia (continental arctic desert) provide much less damaging scenarios. However the c. 90 km Chesapeake Bay crater, Eastern USA (also c. 35 Ma) marks a far more sensitive (Chicxulub-like) site but it also proved relatively benign. Here the rheologically varied shallow marine target site produced an anomalously broad crater, and the scale of the impact has evidently been overestimated. We offer a new approach to the graphical prediction of biotic risk in which both crater diameter and a generalised time/place factor we term ‘vulnerability’ are variables. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Siberia Cambridge University Press (via Crossref) Arctic Canada International Journal of Astrobiology 7 3-4 209 215 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press (via Crossref) |
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English |
topic |
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) Space and Planetary Science Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous) Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
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Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) Space and Planetary Science Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous) Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Walkden, Gordon Parker, Julian The biotic effects of large bolide impacts: size versus time and place |
topic_facet |
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) Space and Planetary Science Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous) Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
description |
Abstract In estimating the biotic effects of large terrestrial impacts we are reliant upon apparent crater diameter as a proxy for impact magnitude. This underlies the ‘kill-curve’ approach which graphs crater diameter directly against likely percentage losses of taxa. However, crater diameter is a complex product of syn- and post-impact processes that can be site-dependent. Furthermore, location (global positioning) and timing (moment in geological history) also strongly influence biotic effects. We examine four of our largest and best-documented Phanerozoic impacts to explore this more holistic size–time–place relationship. Only the c. 180 km end-Cretaceous Chicxulub crater (Mexico) links to any substantial immediate extinction and some of the worst effects stem from where it struck the planet (a continental margin carbonate platform site) and when (a time of high regional and global biodiversity). Both the c. 100 km late Triassic Manicouagan crater in NE Canada (arid continental interior, low regional and world biodiversity) and the c. 35 Ma 100 km Popigai crater, Siberia (continental arctic desert) provide much less damaging scenarios. However the c. 90 km Chesapeake Bay crater, Eastern USA (also c. 35 Ma) marks a far more sensitive (Chicxulub-like) site but it also proved relatively benign. Here the rheologically varied shallow marine target site produced an anomalously broad crater, and the scale of the impact has evidently been overestimated. We offer a new approach to the graphical prediction of biotic risk in which both crater diameter and a generalised time/place factor we term ‘vulnerability’ are variables. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Walkden, Gordon Parker, Julian |
author_facet |
Walkden, Gordon Parker, Julian |
author_sort |
Walkden, Gordon |
title |
The biotic effects of large bolide impacts: size versus time and place |
title_short |
The biotic effects of large bolide impacts: size versus time and place |
title_full |
The biotic effects of large bolide impacts: size versus time and place |
title_fullStr |
The biotic effects of large bolide impacts: size versus time and place |
title_full_unstemmed |
The biotic effects of large bolide impacts: size versus time and place |
title_sort |
biotic effects of large bolide impacts: size versus time and place |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1473550408004266 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1473550408004266 |
geographic |
Arctic Canada |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Canada |
genre |
Arctic Siberia |
genre_facet |
Arctic Siberia |
op_source |
International Journal of Astrobiology volume 7, issue 3-4, page 209-215 ISSN 1473-5504 1475-3006 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550408004266 |
container_title |
International Journal of Astrobiology |
container_volume |
7 |
container_issue |
3-4 |
container_start_page |
209 |
op_container_end_page |
215 |
_version_ |
1766344485508218880 |