THE massive asteroid which wiped out the dinosaurs sent clouds of acid into Earth's sky and plunged our planet into darkness, scientists have discovered.

Experts said the catastrophic collision caused sulphuric acid to billow into the atmosphere, blocking out light across the entire world.

This plunged Earth into a big freeze which lasted three years and killed off the dinosaurs. 

"The big chill following the impact of the asteroid that formed the Chicxulub crater in Mexico is a turning point in Earth history," said Julia Brugger from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

"It became cold, I mean, really cold.

"We can now contribute new insights for understanding the much debated ultimate cause for the demise of the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous era."

Related Stories

It was previously thought that dust thrown up by the asteroid impact was responsible for the mass extinction.

But the Potsdam researchers found that the acid clouds had a much longer-lasting effect, causing average temperatures to plummet below freezing point across the planet.

The impact was so catastrophic that Earth's climate only recovered after 30 years.

"The long-term cooling caused by the sulfate aerosols was much more important for the mass extinction than the dust that stays in the atmosphere for only a relatively short time," said Georg Feulner, leader of the research team at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

"It was also more important than local events like the extreme heat close to the impact, wildfires or tsunamis."

Source: Read Full Article