A loaded question indeed. How are we doing? Humans, as the heirs in the line of succession from dinosaurs to top dogs have managed to—not at 12 miles per second speed – but at a much slower speed, wreak havoc on our entire planet. T Rex-ing around, causing the temps to rise, oceans to heat up to a point that marine life can no longer survive, ice melting leaving polar bears to cling to tiny floes, fires the world over caused by climate change consuming trees that give us oxygen and destroying millions of animals. I could go on. Human legacy is burned into the whole planet-- we leave a “crater” too and not with just one violent yet benign act by an accidental meteor strike. We know better. Shame on us.
That’s why they say our ‘time’ (human activity) on the planet is fueling the 6th mass extinction. Pretty heavy and gruesome moniker to hang our hats on, no? And to your point, they’re still cutting the Amazon rainforest and murdering any environmentalists who get in the way. So very disgraceful. Not to mention the oceans and so on and so on. Greta was right. At 2nd to last world environmental conference she said, ‘Blah, blah, blah. That’s all you say.’ So true.
Wonderful telling of a fascinating, epic event with apocalyptical ramifications! Not only the event itself, but how long ago it occurred and how many millions of years of regenesis afterwards! UNESCO designation, yes, no question. The ring of cenotes in Yucatan is a stunning reminder - beautiful, pristine and sacred.
Thanks Barbra. Amazing it took so long for it to be found. Our 'best' customer at the bookstore was a total Mayaphile and he'd tipped me off it it. I'd never heard of Chicxulub. He was really great.
This is fascinating, Jeanine! I had no idea that dinosaurs lived for 170 million years or that the Yucatan was where the asteroid actually collided with the earth. Thank you for sharing the information.
Thanks Clarice! You're very welcome. Yes, it's daunting they roamed the planet for Sooo very long. And had it not been the asteroid collision, well——nothing larger than a raccoon would have survived. Our very short time here seems folly. And humans, sadly, are leading what is known as the 6th extinction.
And we've been here such a relatively short time! I am really interested in the concept of rewilding. If human beings just stop cutting/poisoning/destroying everything around them, nature recovers in an amazingly short period. If we can't achieve this, we will disappear. But nature herself will go on.
Thank you for writing about this. I lived in Chixculub, two blocks from the beach for about 9 months. People hardly seemed to know or bother about the crater....
Such a wonderful post! Thank you for inviting us into this story and piece of history. Such a beautiful reminder of the magic and beauty all around us. 💖💖💖
This story is good at providing a comprehensive, well-researched account of a major scientific discovery. Like always, Jeanine your storytelling is really good and the read empowers each time :-).
Very interesting, David. The plates—also so fascinating. And one other thing that amazes me about the Hawaiian chain is that I believe Mauna Kea on the Big Island is considered the tallest mountain in the world b/c they measure from base (at ocean floor?) to the top--33,000 feet, just a bit over Everest.
Jeanine thank you so much for steering me to a better understanding of the historical background of Hawaii. And for being such a strong and thoughtful communicator.
David, I'm so glad you had a chance to read more about how HI history came about. I truly appreciate your comments. The Hawaiians have truly endured so much, and with great poise.
How are we doing? I'd give us a B- (dogs elevate us almost 2 letter grades from a D). I think were it not for that random cosmic event, the dinosaurs could have made a pretty good go at it.
Thanks for the fun tour around the star of the Yucatan's geologic record!
Thanks Mike. I have to call you an optimist! (I won't tell you my grade). Yeah, the dinosaurs rocked it, for 165 million years. And we humans? Oh let's not go there right now. It'll ruin my weekend, haha.
lol - yes, I think I may have been a bit generous with my grading 😉. Let's just say I was grading on a curve, and there were lots of mosquitoes in the class
A loaded question indeed. How are we doing? Humans, as the heirs in the line of succession from dinosaurs to top dogs have managed to—not at 12 miles per second speed – but at a much slower speed, wreak havoc on our entire planet. T Rex-ing around, causing the temps to rise, oceans to heat up to a point that marine life can no longer survive, ice melting leaving polar bears to cling to tiny floes, fires the world over caused by climate change consuming trees that give us oxygen and destroying millions of animals. I could go on. Human legacy is burned into the whole planet-- we leave a “crater” too and not with just one violent yet benign act by an accidental meteor strike. We know better. Shame on us.
That’s why they say our ‘time’ (human activity) on the planet is fueling the 6th mass extinction. Pretty heavy and gruesome moniker to hang our hats on, no? And to your point, they’re still cutting the Amazon rainforest and murdering any environmentalists who get in the way. So very disgraceful. Not to mention the oceans and so on and so on. Greta was right. At 2nd to last world environmental conference she said, ‘Blah, blah, blah. That’s all you say.’ So true.
Love your posts, Jeanine! There’s always something that draws me in!
Fascinating information!
Wonderful telling of a fascinating, epic event with apocalyptical ramifications! Not only the event itself, but how long ago it occurred and how many millions of years of regenesis afterwards! UNESCO designation, yes, no question. The ring of cenotes in Yucatan is a stunning reminder - beautiful, pristine and sacred.
Thanks Barbra. Amazing it took so long for it to be found. Our 'best' customer at the bookstore was a total Mayaphile and he'd tipped me off it it. I'd never heard of Chicxulub. He was really great.
This is fascinating, Jeanine! I had no idea that dinosaurs lived for 170 million years or that the Yucatan was where the asteroid actually collided with the earth. Thank you for sharing the information.
Thanks Clarice! You're very welcome. Yes, it's daunting they roamed the planet for Sooo very long. And had it not been the asteroid collision, well——nothing larger than a raccoon would have survived. Our very short time here seems folly. And humans, sadly, are leading what is known as the 6th extinction.
And we've been here such a relatively short time! I am really interested in the concept of rewilding. If human beings just stop cutting/poisoning/destroying everything around them, nature recovers in an amazingly short period. If we can't achieve this, we will disappear. But nature herself will go on.
So true. Planet Earth will recover and adapt. If humans get burped off the planet, we'll only have ourselves to blame.
Thank you for writing about this. I lived in Chixculub, two blocks from the beach for about 9 months. People hardly seemed to know or bother about the crater....
So amazing Ellen. Btw—Hola!! I like that part of the gulf coast. Still (or it was) so quiet. Where are you now?
it was very quiet but massive changes in Progreso will probably spill over into that area. I'm in Michoacan now. Far better climate for me.
I'm sure re Progreso's growth. Years ago had a friend in Chelem who we'd visit. Cool about Michoacan. It looks really beautiful. Suerte, amiga!
Fascinating! Thank you, Jeanine!
Very welcome Lana! Thanks for reading!
To have a friend so creative and intelligent, is such a blessing. Every time I read one of your writings, I Can't wait for the next one.💜
Thanks so much Micheline!!
Fascinating story!
Thank you!! It's amazing it was only recently discovered--where it hit.
Such a wonderful post! Thank you for inviting us into this story and piece of history. Such a beautiful reminder of the magic and beauty all around us. 💖💖💖
You're very welcome, Catherine! My pleasure. It's amazing to me, too.
This story is good at providing a comprehensive, well-researched account of a major scientific discovery. Like always, Jeanine your storytelling is really good and the read empowers each time :-).
Thank you from my heart Tinashe.
Enjoyed the history!
Thank you! It's pretty amazing. And that it's just been so recently discovered. Appreciate your reading my post.
Great and timely article. I’ve been thinking about this. There is a bend in the Hawaii/Emporer Seamount that fascinates me. I’ve been thinking that a force like the Chicxulub meteor may have knocked the pacific plate enough to change the direction. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170608123615.htm#:~:text=60%20degrees%20bend.-,The%20cause%20for%20this%20bend%20has%20been%20heavily%20debated%20for,beginning%2080%20million%20years%20ago.
Very interesting, David. The plates—also so fascinating. And one other thing that amazes me about the Hawaiian chain is that I believe Mauna Kea on the Big Island is considered the tallest mountain in the world b/c they measure from base (at ocean floor?) to the top--33,000 feet, just a bit over Everest.
Yes it’s incredible how far above the sea floor they rise!
It is! And thank you SO MUCH for becoming a Paid Subscriber!! That's awesome and I really appreciate your support. Very kind. Aloha!
Jeanine thank you so much for steering me to a better understanding of the historical background of Hawaii. And for being such a strong and thoughtful communicator.
David, I'm so glad you had a chance to read more about how HI history came about. I truly appreciate your comments. The Hawaiians have truly endured so much, and with great poise.
How are we doing? I'd give us a B- (dogs elevate us almost 2 letter grades from a D). I think were it not for that random cosmic event, the dinosaurs could have made a pretty good go at it.
Thanks for the fun tour around the star of the Yucatan's geologic record!
Thanks Mike. I have to call you an optimist! (I won't tell you my grade). Yeah, the dinosaurs rocked it, for 165 million years. And we humans? Oh let's not go there right now. It'll ruin my weekend, haha.
lol - yes, I think I may have been a bit generous with my grading 😉. Let's just say I was grading on a curve, and there were lots of mosquitoes in the class
Ha! love that curve grading. Never understood why they did it. But no matter.
Your posts are always fascinating. Thanks!
Thanks Jennifer. I love finding obscure topics about Mexico and then writing about them.
And we love learning and traveling and exploring along with you!
Thanks!