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Supernovae and the Extinction of the Dinosaurs

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Abstract

WE wish to suggest that a nearby supernova explosion might produce climatic effects so drastic as to cause the extinction of many animals, including the dinosaurs. Earlier discussions of this topic1,2 focused on the radiation doses to be expected as a result of the interaction of high-energy cosmic rays and γ-rays with the atmosphere. Reasonable estimates of the parameters involved implied doses which may account for some of the patterns of mass extinction observed in the geological record.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Museum of Natural Sciences, Ottawa

    DALE RUSSELL

  2. American Science and Engineering, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02142

    WALLACE TUCKER

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  1. DALE RUSSELL
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  2. WALLACE TUCKER
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RUSSELL, D., TUCKER, W. Supernovae and the Extinction of the Dinosaurs. Nature 229, 553–554 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/229553a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/229553a0

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