Dinosaurs, Mercury, Venus, the Moon, Earth and You.
Dinosaurs
67 million years ago 70% of all terrestrial species on our planet died off suddenly. At this same
time 95% of all ocean species became extinct as well. This death toll does not include the large
portions of the surviving species that were also killed.
The majority of scientists agree that it was a large meteor that ended most of the life on our
planet at this time. Other groups hypothesize that the mass extinction may have been caused
by volcanic activity and other environmental changes. Some say that it may have been a
combination of both events that caused the mass extinction of life on our planet.
Evidence of these hypotheses still exists today. Many look to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico
where the geologic remains of the Chicxulub meteor are located. Some point to the large
volcanic activity in India that erupted near the same time geologically.
Below is a picture of the youngest known dinosaur fossil. The fossil in the picture was made
from the remains of a dinosaur living before the meteor struck the Yucatan Peninsula. It is
estimated to be approximately 67 million years old.
A unique feature of this fossil is that the skin, tendons, muscle and bones were fossilized. This
dinosaur died and was buried without decomposing naturally. Its preservation is an indication
that not only did the 70% of all terrestrial species die off suddenly, but so too did most of the
Earth’s bacteria.
(The dinosaur fossil in the picture above left is from the Hell Creek Formation Badlands of North Dakota, United States. This fossil underwent
the world’s largest CT scan with the help of Boeing and NASA. The fossil site was originally discovered by Tyler Lyson. Hell Creek was excavated
by British paleontologist Phillip Manning and Lyson. Variations in skin scale sizing indicate that the dinosaur had a striped tail. Above right is a
representation of what the dinosaur may have looked like.)
The fossil from the Hell Creek Formations indicates that the dinosaur died and then froze. This
frozen carcass was then naturally buried in time without decomposing. This became a
mummification process for the deceased dinosaur. A portion of the mummified dinosaur then
fossilized.
Looking towards space and the dinosaur fossil we can better understand what happened on our
planet 67 million years ago. It also gives us an insight on how to survive such an event.
Mercury
Mercury is the closest planet to our sun. It is because of its proximity to the sun that some
believe that it is the hottest planet in our solar system. While the planet Mercury does get very
hot, it also gets very cold. The night time temperatures of this small planet get down to -179
degrees Celsius, (-290 degrees Fahrenheit). Its days can reach 427 degrees Celsius, (800
degrees Fahrenheit).
The planet Mercury turns very slowly on its axis. One day on Mercury is approximately 175.94
Earth days. This leaves its nights lasting around 88 days. Without an atmosphere, the heat of
planet Mercury dissipates leaving its nights below freezing.
A prominent feature of the planet Mercury is a large meteor crater on its surface. It is the
largest known meteor impact crater in our solar system. Called the Caloris Basin, this crater
was believed to have been made approximately 3.8 to 3.9 billion years ago.
(Above; While it does not take an impressive photo, this is the Caloris Basin. It is roughly the size of Texas.)
An unusual characteristic of this crater appears on the opposite side of the planet. Ripples and
elevation changes in the terrain of Mercury strongly indicate that massive earthquakes
occurred as a result of this meteor impact.
The mountains, hills and valleys formed from the earthquakes caused by this asteroid impact
are roughly the size of France and Germany combined.
Relating the information of Mercury’s temperature and its geological history to the extinction
of the dinosaurs, we can make develop parameters of the extent of the event of the meteor
impact.
We can see from the planet Mercury that 88 days of darkness yields temperatures of -179
degrees Celsius, (-290 degrees Fahrenheit). It can be hypothesized that if a meteor winter on
Earth had lasted 88 days only deep ocean bacteria would have had the ability to survive if they
survived at all. From this we can develop the idea that the winter was shorter than 88 days or
that heat was held or produced on the planet’s surface.
A variety of species surviving the massive extinction 67 million years ago supports the
hypothesis of a meteor winter lasting a short period of time.
Further supporting the hypothesis that K-T lasted for a short period of time is the comparative
mortality rate between oceanic and terrestrial life of the period. (K-T is the name typically
assigned to this time period of mass extinction.) This indicates that the ocean became less
hospitable than the land. It is possible that the ocean saw both a pollution change as well as a
temperature change.
This would indicate that K-T was a quick freezing process followed by massive increases in
global precipitation. This suggests a short term global warming period followed the meteor
winter, prior to the long cooling period known to have followed K-T.
Ozone is a molecule consisting of three oxygen atoms. With most of the planet’s oxygen
producing life destroyed, the ozone layer of Earth would also have been significantly depleted.
This event would cause a heating process as ultraviolet rays heated the Earth’s surface. These
events would have significantly increased global rainfall in a time when all of our continents and
ocean life were all in close proximity.
Mercury also shows us that meteor impacts can affect the geology of planetary bodies. In the
case of the Chicxulub impact the energy of the crash may not have been significant enough to
have traveled through our planet in a straight line. It is unknown what geological reactions may
have occurred with the impact. They may have included the volcanic eruptions that occurred in
present day India near the same time geologically.
Venus
Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system, (471 degrees Celsius, 880 degrees Fahrenheit).
This planet is covered by active volcanoes and lava beds. The atmosphere of Venus is thick with
Nitrogen, carbon dioxide and pockets of sulfuric acid that emanate from the planets volcanoes.
The density of Venus’s atmospheric pollution traps heat on the planet’s surface. The
atmosphere of Venus is so compacted that the nitrogen in its sky is four times more compacted
than the nitrogen in the atmosphere of Earth. Its thick atmosphere, surface volcanic activity
and its proximity to the sun make Venus the hottest planet in our solar system.
Venus is in many ways very much like Earth. It is close to the same size as Earth, has plate
tectonics and a rotation that is similar to our planet.
In 1982 the Russians sent space crafts to Venus. These are actual photographs of the planet’s
surface.
The two black and white photos on the far right and center created a small controversy. They,
for a time, were thought to depict simple life forms living on Venus. This thought has been
refuted after further review by scientists.
Venus allows us to see that with a heat source and an atmosphere a planet’s surface can be
warmed by holding in the heat of the planet. It also shows us that the environment of the
dinosaurs lacked significant heat sources at the time of the impact.
The Moon
The moon rotates around the Earth in slightly over 27 days. It is approximately 384,403
kilometers, (238,857 miles), from Earth. The dark areas of the moon are solidified lava flows.
(Above: The moon’s surface facing Earth)
The far side, (dark side), of the moon is much different from the side of the moon facing Earth.
Lunar surfaces on the far side of the moon are littered with craters. Only a few signs of lava
flows are present on the dark side of the moon. These solidified eruptions are predominantly in
crater beds.
(Above the far side or dark side of the moon.)
Volcanic activity on the moon does not seem to be a concern, but with meteor impacts maybe it should
be. Many of the volcanic eruptions on the moon appear to be meteor related. A basalt lava flow on the
moon will more than likely produce smoke debris. The moon travels around the Earth daily. If the
moon is creating smoke it will not stay with the moon because the moon lacks an atmosphere. This
could create a film of smoke surrounding the atmosphere of Earth. This thin layer of smoke could cause
a volcanic winter on Earth that has the potential to last longer than a meteor winter on our planet.
Earth
Earth is the planet of your ancestor’s lineage.
Earth houses 7 billion people and is your home.
Every plate tectonic on the planet Earth is geologically active and capable of producing volcanic
eruptions that produce volcanic winters.
The world’s leading space exploration organization said before the United States that all we can do is
“pray” if a catastrophic meteor event came upon the Earth.
Currently there are no defense systems to protect us from meteor impacts. The space shuttle program
has now been retired.
A very brilliant mind has stated, (paraphrased), “ that if we don’t start exploring space, humans will
become extinct in 700 years.”
Stephen Hawking
The Earth has a single moon. Looking at the dark side of the moon it becomes apparent that the moon
has shielded the Earth from numerous meteor impacts. The moon lacks plate tectonics. Lunar pictures
indicate that the moon releases internal heat with meteor impacts. A lunar impact may produce both a
meteor winter and a volcanic winter combined.
The worst and significantly promising threat that the Earth faces is a fiery bath from its own sun.
Earth has had numerous ice ages. Many of the previous ice ages lasted for thousands of years, (
commonly around 150,000 years ). Currently we are not in an ice age period. We are in a
warming period. These warming periods usually last about 10,000 years. The current warming
trend has outrun its normal living time so it is unknown when the next ice age will occur; we
only know that it has a higher probability of happening soon.
The predominance of all electrical grids on Earth are unable to survive heavy winter storms.
These grids are commonly cause black outs in heavy winter storms. The worst experienced
winters by human are a hot day in a catastrophic winter.
YOU!
To prevent the extinction of human YOU can do the following.
1. Fight for a survivable energy source.
Only vote for politicians who will actively support and implement placing 100% of our electrical grid
being underground. This includes power generating stations.
Actively discourage the reelection of any elected official who doesn’t engage in fighting for this cause.
If and when able, for your own survival, ensure that your dwellings have a secondary, off grid, non-solar,
energy source.
2. Promote indoor and underground farming.
A catastrophic winter depletes food supplies. Food supplies, animals and plants, are wiped out in a
catastrophic level.
See money as votes. In the same way organic food has been able to make a stand in grocery stores, so
to can a food industry that is capable surviving a catastrophic climate incident or change. As this food
source becomes available in your market, buy it. If you can’t afford it, purchase a token amount when
you can. Every coin spent is a portion of a vote, these votes are often more powerful than those cast on
any Election Day.
It will take a great deal of investment capital to have our food supplies raised and grown indoors or
underground. In the long run food produced from these enterprises will probably be of a higher quality
and lower price, but to get this a great deal of investment capital will be needed for initial construction
and design. So fight with your votes and coins.
Vote only for politicians who will actively support and implement underground or indoor food farming.
If they are willing to fight for long term low interest government loans for investors to build catastrophic
proof generation plants, then you fight for them with your vote.
3. Make the population aware that catastrophic environmental change is inevitability.
People acting as one, is always better than one acting for people. To spread a message is often the first
step in resolving a problem. So be passionate about how you may feel about what you just read. Now
share that passion in the form of your concern.
Please fight by supporting this article.
“Like” it.
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