Scientists Say Impact Winter , From Asteroid May Have Caused , the Mass Extinction of the Dinosaurs.<br />66 million years ago, an asteroid smashed into Mexico's <br />Yucatan Peninsula, erasing thee-quarters of life on <br />the planet and ending the age of the dinosaurs.<br />Reuters reports that while the immediate <br />collision was devastating, scientists now <br />believe the climate catastrophe that followed <br />may have had the most impact.<br />Years after the asteroid hit Earth, <br />the skies darkened with thick clouds of <br />debris while global temperatures plummeted. .<br />Researchers estimate that the total amount <br />of dust was close to 2,000 gigatons, <br />over 11 times the weight of Mt. Everest. .<br />Researchers estimate that the total amount <br />of dust was close to 2,000 gigatons, <br />over 11 times the weight of Mt. Everest. .<br />According to paleoclimate simulations, this massive <br />amount of dust could have completely prevented <br />photosynthesis from occurring for up to two years. .<br />According to paleoclimate simulations, this massive <br />amount of dust could have completely prevented <br />photosynthesis from occurring for up to two years. .<br />Cem Berk Senel, lead author of the study published <br />in the journal 'Nature Geoscience,' says the cloud <br />of dust remained in the atmosphere for 15 years. .<br />As a result, temperatures on the planet <br />dropped about 27 degrees Fahrenheit. .<br />It was cold and <br />dark for years, Philippe Claeys, Vrije Universiteit Brussel <br />planetary scientist and study co-author, via Reuters.<br />This "impact winter" caused a chain reaction <br />of extinctions, while plants died and herbivores <br />starved, leaving carnivores without a food source. .<br />While the sulfur stayed about eight <br />to nine years, soot and silicate dust <br />resided in the atmosphere for <br />about 15 years after the impact. , Özgür Karatekin, Royal Observatory of Belgium <br />planetary scientist and study co-author, via Reuters.<br />The complete recovery from <br />the impact winter took even <br />longer, with pre-impact <br />temperature conditions returning <br />only after about 20 years. , Özgür Karatekin, Royal Observatory of Belgium <br />planetary scientist and study co-author, via Reuters
