SCIENCE journal presented a unique study conducted by a team of scientists from Dartmut College, which could revolutionize our understanding of the reasons for the mass extinction of dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Utilizing advanced computer technologies, researchers have proposed a fresh perspective on historical events based on objective data, free from human biases.
The study’s main feature is the utilization of a computer model that works in reverse, tracing consequences back to their underlying causes. This approach allowed for the analysis of vast amounts of geological and climatic data without human intervention.
In the model, which utilized around 130 processors, the fossil record was analyzed in reverse order to determine the events and conditions leading to the mass extinction at the boundary of the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods. The model considered over 300,000 potential scenarios, including carbon dioxide emissions, sulfur dioxide levels, and biological productivity in the million years preceding and following the K-PG extinction. Employing a form of machine learning known as the Monte Carlo Markovsky chain, the processors independently compared, reviewed, and revised their conclusions until arriving at a script that matched the fossil records.
One of the study’s primary findings was the significant role of volcanic activity, particularly in India’s Deccan Traps region. The model demonstrated that these volcanoes, active for nearly a million years before the asteroid impact, could have released up to 10.4 trillion tons of carbon dioxide and 9.3 trillion tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. Scientists believe that these emissions alone could have been sufficient to trigger global extinction.
The study also confirmed the impact of the Chicxulub asteroid on the extinction process. While the asteroid led to significant changes in the ecosystem, its role in greenhouse gas emissions was found to be less influential than previously anticipated.
The study’s authors highlight that modern carbon dioxide emissions are 100 times greater than the maximum annual emissions from the Deccan Traps, underscoring the importance of understanding historical climate events in assessing contemporary environmental risks.
This study’s methodology opens up new horizons in the investigation of historical and geological processes, enabling the analysis of events where the outcomes are known, but the causes remain undisclosed.