Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event

The Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T or KT) extinction event, also known as the KT boundary, was a period of massive extinction of species, about 65.5 million years ago. It corresponds to the end of the Cretaceous Period and the beginning of the Tertiary Period. (K is the traditional abbreviation for the Cretaceous period. Cretaceous comes from the Latin for chalk, creta. The K comes from the German word for chalk kreide, or possible Greek kreta. The K is used so as to avoid confusion with the Carboniferous period which uses the letter C.)

Multiple impact event

Several other craters also appear to have been formed at the K-T boundary. This suggests the possibility of near simultaneous multiple impacts from perhaps a fragmented asteroidal object, such as the Shoemaker-Levy 9 cometary impact with Jupiter.

Related Topics:
Shoemaker-Levy 9 - Jupiter

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Boltysh crater (24 km diam., 65.17 ± 0.64 My old) in Ukraine
• Silverpit crater (20 km diam., 60-65 My old) in the North Sea
• Eagle Butte crater (10 km diam., < 65 My old) in Alberta, Canada
• Vista Alegre crater (9.5 km diam., < 65 My old) in Paraná State, Brazil