Volcanic Activity, Not Meteorite, Primary Cause of Dinosaur Extinction, Study Suggests

Massive eruptions from the Deccan Traps released sulfur and fluorine, causing global 'volcanic winters' and setting the stage for the dinosaur extinction event.

New research suggests that massive volcanic eruptions, not a meteorite, may have been the primary cause of the dinosaur extinction.
The Deccan Traps, a large volcanic region in Western India, released a significant amount of sulfur and fluorine into the atmosphere, causing global temperature drops known as 'volcanic winters'.
These 'volcanic winters' could have lasted decades, making life difficult for all plants and animals and setting the stage for the dinosaur extinction event.
The sulfur release from the Deccan Traps occurred in the 200,000 years before the end of the Cretaceous, shortly before the asteroid impact.
A 2021 study also found that the Deccan Traps could have released enough carbon-dioxide to cause a runaway greenhouse effect, adding to the environmental stress on the dinosaurs.