Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An astronomical explanation of anomalous concentrations of iridium element during catastrophic extinctions

  • General Aspects
  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Extinction Events in Earth History

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences ((LNEARTH,volume 30))

  • 471 Accesses

Abstract

In this paper a new possible explanation of iridium anomalies in the extinction boundaries is proposed. I found that the impact of an object is not necessary to be in the theory when we try to explain the iridium anomaly.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Alvarez, L. W. et al. (1980): Extraterrestrial Cause for the Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction. — Science, 208, 1095–1108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, M. et al. (1983): Berkeley Laboratory, preprint LBL-17298.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gartner, S. & Keany, J. (1978): The terminal Cretaceous event. A geologic problem with an oceanographic solution. — Geology, 6, 708–712.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsü, K. J. (1980): Terrestrial catastrophes caused by cometary impact at the end of Cretaceous. — Nature, 285, 201–203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hut, P. et al. (1987): Comet showers as a cause of mass extinction. — Nature, 329, 118–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McLean, D. M. (1978): Land Floras: The Major Late Phanerozoic Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide/Oxygen Control. — Science, 200, 1060–1062.

    Google Scholar 

  • Napier, W. N. & Clube, S. V. M. (1979): A theory of terrestrial catastrophism. — Nature, 282, 455–459.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rampino, M. R. & Volk, T. (1988): Mass extinctions, atmospheric sulphur and climatic warming at the K/T boundary. — Nature, 332, 63–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Urey, H. C. (1973): Cometary Collisions and Geological Periods. — Nature, 242, 32–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitmire, D. P. & Jackson, A. A. (1984): Are periodic mass extinctions driven by a distant solar companion? — Nature, 308, 713–715.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing Astronomical Observatory, Academia Sinica, Beijing, China

    Zhengzong Yang

Authors
  1. Zhengzong Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Erle G. Kauffman Otto H. Walliser

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1990 Springer-Verlag

About this paper

Cite this paper

Yang, Z. (1990). An astronomical explanation of anomalous concentrations of iridium element during catastrophic extinctions. In: Kauffman, E.G., Walliser, O.H. (eds) Extinction Events in Earth History. Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences, vol 30. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0011137

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0011137

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-52605-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-47071-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation