Why the Asteroid Was Not the Only Killer: The "Antipodal Press-Pulse" Model in the K-Pg Mass Extinction
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This paper examines the limitations of the Alvarez impact hypothesis (1980), which attributes the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction solely to an asteroid impact. Based on the analysis of paleontological data (Gerta Keller's foraminifera research), geological evidence of volcanic activity (Deccan Traps), and the ecological adaptations of surviving species, the "Press-Pulse" model is proposed. I propose the term "Antipodal Press-Pulse" to describe a specific mechanism within this framework: the Chicxulub impact generated seismic waves that converged at the antipodal point (India), amplifying the pre-existing Deccan volcanism. According to this model, the Late Cretaceous ecosystem was already under severe stress due to volcanism, and the asteroid impact served as the final, amplified blow that triggered an irreversible collapse.
Author: Ryazanov, Andrey
Language: English
Subfield: Paleontology
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225454109