Which consequence is commonly associated with asteroid impacts causing mass extinction?

• A. Lack of sunlight leading to extreme global cooling
• B. Global warming due to CO2 release
• C. Increased atmospheric oxygen
• D. Decreased volcanic activity

Answer: (B)

When a huge asteroid hits Earth, it blasts enormous amounts of dust, soot, and other particles high into the atmosphere. This debris acts like a veil, blocking sunlight from reaching the surface. With the sun effectively dimmed, global photosynthesis slows or stops, temperatures drop, and climates plunge into a prolonged cooling period often described as an impact winter. That drastic cooling disrupts ecosystems, collapses food chains, and is a leading explanation for the mass extinction that follows.

Over longer timescales, fires and volcanic activity triggered by the impact release large amounts of CO2, which can trap heat and lead to warming after the initial darkness clears. So while CO2-driven warming can occur later, the immediate and most characteristic consequence linked to the extinction event is the severe cooling caused by sunlight blockage.