National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Publication Abstracts

Becker et al. 2001

Becker, L., R.J. Poreda, A.G. Hunt, T.E. Bunch, and M. Rampino, 2001: Impact event at the Permian-Triassic boundary: Evidence from extraterrestrial noble gases in fullerenes. Science, 291, 1530-1533, doi:10.1126/science.1057243.

The Permian-Triassic boundary (PTB) event, which occurred about 251.4 million years ago, is marked by the most severe mass extinction in the geologic record. Recent studies of some PTB sites indicate that the extinction occurred very abruptly, consistent with a catastrophic, possibly extraterrestrial, cause. Fullerenes (C₆₀ to C₂₀₀) from sediments at the PTB contain trapped helium and argon with isotope ratios similar to the planretary component of carbonaceous chondrites. These data imply that an impact event (asteroidal or cometary) accompanied the extinction, as was the case for the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event about 65 million years ago.

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@article{be01000b,
  author={Becker, L. and Poreda, R. J. and Hunt, A. G. and Bunch, T. E. and Rampino, M.},
  title={Impact event at the Permian-Triassic boundary: Evidence from extraterrestrial noble gases in fullerenes},
  year={2001},
  journal={Science},
  volume={291},
  pages={1530--1533},
  doi={10.1126/science.1057243},
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - be01000b
AU  - Becker, L.
AU  - Poreda, R. J.
AU  - Hunt, A. G.
AU  - Bunch, T. E.
AU  - Rampino, M.
PY  - 2001
TI  - Impact event at the Permian-Triassic boundary: Evidence from extraterrestrial noble gases in fullerenes
JA  - Science
VL  - 291
SP  - 1530
EP  - 1533
DO  - 10.1126/science.1057243
ER  -

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