Experts have revealed terrifying details of the moments following the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs, when Earth turned into a hell filled with acid rain, super-winds, and a smell like rotting vegetables.
This happened 66 million years ago, when a huge 10-kilometer-wide asteroid called "Chickcholope" collided in the area now known as Mexico.
This collision not only ended the age of dinosaurs, but also caused a global catastrophe, with a collapse in temperatures and the extinction of more than half of all living creatures. Ironically, this catastrophe paved the way for mammals to dominate the planet.
Professor Michael Benton from the University of Bristol and Professor Monica Grady from the Open University drew a complete picture of everything that happened, the sights they saw if there were survivors, the sounds they heard, and the smells they inhaled.
According to them, if you had lived at that time, you would have experienced a series of consecutive nightmares:
The weather was warm at the impact site, with a temperature of 26 degrees Celsius. The asteroid became visible in the sky even in broad daylight, like a star that grew brighter and faster every hour.
A blinding light exploded, immediately followed by a deafening sonic boom that shook the earth. Everything near the impact site vanished in an instant.
The asteroid was so massive that it struck Earth before any creature could escape. Even beings as far as 2,000 kilometers away died instantly from the horrific heat and supersonic winds
Winds with the force of a category five hurricane blew, leveling everything within a 1,500-kilometer radius. The temperature soared to 227 degrees Celsius, and the air was filled with scorching steam.
Immediately after that, huge tsunami waves, up to 100 meters high, struck the shores of what we now call the Gulf of Mexico.
Those who survived the explosion 3,000 kilometers away did not live long. They were either killed by earthquakes, burned in firestorms, or struck by molten rock falling from the sky
Earthquakes were the least of the problems. The real danger was the fire that still shone from the sky and burned continuously.
Earthquakes were the least of the problems. The real danger was the fire that still shone from the sky and burned continuously
Everything changed. The planet went into a deep freeze, and the temperature dropped by 5 degrees Celsius. Most of the dinosaurs, flying reptiles, and large swimmers died from the extreme freezing in that first week alone.
As if the cold and darkness weren't enough, torrential downpours of burning acid rain began to fall. The stench of rotting vegetables, dead animals, and choking smoke filled the entire land, making the smell unbearable
The sun continued to disappear. The temperature was 15 degrees lower than it had been before the disaster.
Everywhere, the massive skeletons of giant creatures lay scattered across the ground. Only the smallest creatures survived: mammals the size of mice and insects that had hidden in rock crevices
A massive dust belt began circling the globe. The sky darkened even in places as far away as Denmark. Huge tsunamis swept across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, while global wildfires filled the atmosphere with soot. Plants ceased photosynthesis as if winter had suddenly arrived. Animals that needed warmth huddled and then died
Everything changed. The planet went into a deep freeze, and the temperature dropped by 5 degrees Celsius. Most of the dinosaurs, flying reptiles, and large swimmers died from the extreme freezing in that first week alone.
As if the cold and darkness weren't enough, torrential downpours of burning acid rain began to fall. The stench of rotting vegetables, dead animals, and choking smoke filled the entire land, making the smell unbearable.
The sun continued to disappear. The temperature was 15 degrees lower than it had been before the disaster.
Everywhere, the massive skeletons of giant creatures lay scattered across the ground. Only the smallest creatures survived: mammals the size of mice and insects that had hidden in rock crevice
The land was still trapped in a harsh and violent winter. Rivers and lakes were completely frozen. There were no humans, of course, nor even larger mammals. Only creatures that could burrow underground or live underwater managed to survive
Finally, the world recovered. The asteroid that killed half of all living things on Earth opened the door for mammals to grow and spread.
Experts warn that modern humans are causing atmospheric changes remarkably similar to those that killed the dinosaurs. If this trend continues, we may one day meet the same fate
