A 2007 PNAS paper led by Richard B. Firestone proposed an extraterrestrial-impact explanation for the Younger Dryas, dated in the paper to 12,900 years ago. The presenter argues that a fragmented comet produced an airburst over the Laurentide Ice Sheet and cites disputed YDB markers at 50+ sites worldwide, including nanodiamonds and shocked quartz. The presenter also cites 2025 work at Louisiana's Perkins Plume site and objections based on Great Lakes moraines. The comet-airburst interpretation remains contested.
Presenter argues for a Younger Dryas comet-airburst hypothesis
Site mentioned
📍 Younger Dryas Boundary sites
Key facts
- A 2007 PNAS paper led by Richard B. Firestone, with Andrew West, David J. Kennett and other coauthors, proposed the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis. The paper dated the proposed event to 12,900 years ago, commonly rounded to about 12,800.
- The presenter argues that the proposed event involved a fragmented comet and an airburst or touchdown above the Laurentide Ice Sheet, then up to about 2 km thick near the Great Lakes.
- The presenter cites claimed YDB markers—nanodiamonds, magnetic or glassy microspherules, shocked quartz and platinum anomalies—at more than 50 sites worldwide. Their presence, dating and causal significance remain disputed.
- Sites cited include Abu Hureyra, Murray Springs, Blackwater Draw, Topper and Wonder Cave in South Africa—not Wonder Crater.
- In many sections, the black mat overlies the YDB horizon. The presenter also describes 2025 Comet Research Group work at Louisiana's Perkins Plume site as possible airburst evidence and cites objections based on the apparent absence of catastrophic disruption in Great Lakes moraines.
Sources
Study uncovers new evidence supporting Younger Dryas Impact ...heritagedaily.com
The Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis (YDIH) proposes that a cometary or meteoric body exploded over the North American area sometime around 12, ...
The Younger Dryas impact hypothesis: Review of the impact evidencesciencedirect.com
a major cosmic impact, circa 10,835 cal. BCE, triggered the Younger Dryas (YD) climate shift along with changes in human cultures and megafaunal extinctions.
Younger Dryas impact hypothesis - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The Younger Dryas impact hypothesis (YDIH) is a widely refuted fringe hypothesis for the cause of the sudden influx of freshwater into the ocean which disrupted
The case of the Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis - PMCpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The hypothesis proposes that the airburst or impact of a comet ∼12,850 years ago caused the ensuing ∼1200-year-long Younger Dryas (YD) cool period
Modeling airbursts by comets, asteroids, and nuclear ...scienceopen.com
by A West · 2024 · Cited by 22 — Comet Research Group, Four airburst scenarios are modeled: a 100-m comet, and a 140-m comet. touch-down airbursts can demolish buildings and ...
Evidence for an extraterrestrial impact 12900 years ago ...pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
by RB Firestone · 2007 · Cited by 883 — Evidence for an extraterrestrial impact 12,900 years ago that contributed to the megafaunal extinctions and the Younger Dryas cooling · Authors.
Evidence for an extraterrestrial impact 12,900 years ago that ...digital.library.unt.edu
Evidence for an extraterrestrial impact 12,900 years ago that contributed to the megafaunal extinctions and the Younger Dryas cooling · Who ...
Evidence for an extraterrestrial impact 12900 years ago ...pure.psu.edu
by RB Firestone · 2007 · Cited by 853 — Evidence for an extraterrestrial impact 12,900 years ago that contributed to the megafaunal extinctions and the Younger Dryas cooling. / ...
Was this story useful?
Keep exploring
Every site on this page sits on the globe, and the people who research them are on the Discord.
3D Globe · Sites by country · Story Archive · Research Library · Weekly Journal · Search
AI-generated text · images from the original sources · always verify with the sources.