Scientists already have an answer to the question of what caused the last Ice Age on Earth and the consequent extinction of a wide variety of species. The culprit, according to a study by the University of Chicago (USA) is nothing more than an asteroid that impacted our planet about 12.8 billion years ago.
The catastrophe itself was known, but until now there had not been an accurate confirmation of what had been the causes of it. According to the authors of the work published in the Journal of Geology , the study of nano-diamonds scattered throughout Europe, North America and South America, has turned out to be the key to supporting the theory of the impact of an asteroid as the correct one. .
The formation of these nano-diamonds – the result of explosions and detonations – occurred due to a forceful and violent climate change that spread them over more than 50 million square kilometers. “In the countries of the Northern Hemisphere, the nano-diamond layer contains a clearly defined peak abundance ,” says James Kennett, leader of the study.
These microscopic-sized nanodiamonds, composed of spheres of carbon, glass and other high-temperature materials (around 2,200 ° C), can be located in a thin layer located a few meters from the Earth’s surface . It is precisely its proximity to the surface that has suggested that the nanodiamonds were created by an incredible event from space, such as an asteroid.
This hypothesis therefore reinforces the theory of the impact of an asteroid and refutes other possible explanations regarding the formation of nanodiamonds, such as increased volcanic activity or forest fires.
Image Credit: ANITA
