Re: Theories on the extinction of dinosaurs

["James R. Cunningham" <jrccea@bellsouth.net>]

Larry Febo wrote:

> I never considered the heat-shockwave to have circled the entire earth.
> North America yes,...but the rest of the earth?? Then again, I haven`t
> calculated any of the physics involved. (It just dosen`t  "seem" to have
> been large enough for all that).

15-20 teratons of TNT.   Think of the blast from a one megaton atomic bomb.  Now
set off 15-20 million of them simultaneously.  How much does it take to send a
shockwave around the earth?  Or look at the Jupiter impactors from a few years
back that were smaller than the Chixulub impactor (but traveling faster).  They
put out shockwaves larger than the earth.  I don't know the answer to your
question either, but suspect the shockwave went around the earth several times,
while the heat wave didn't cover more than one hemisphere.  Speculation only.

Jim