Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Wind Tunnel Experiments to Study Chaparral Crown Fires
Published on: November 14, 2017
Ignition of global wildfires at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary
H J Melosh1, N M Schneider, K J Zahnle
1Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson 85721, USA.
Abstract:
An impressive amount of evidence supports the proposal of Alvarez et al. that the Cretaceous era was ended abruptly by the impact of a comet or asteroid. The recent discovery of an apparently global soot layer at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary indicates that global wildfires were somehow ignited by the impact. Here we show that the thermal radiation produced by the ballistic re-entry of ejecta condensed from the vapour plume of the impact could have increased the global radiation flux by factors of 50 to 150 times the solar input for periods ranging from one to several hours. This great increase in thermal radiation may have been responsible for the ignition of global wildfires, as well as having deleterious effects on unprotected animal life.
Related Concept Videos
The Carbon Cycle
Global Climate Change
Threats to Biodiversity
Radiation: Applications
The average...
Burn Injuries
The damage results in the death of skin cells, which can lead to a massive loss of fluid. Dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and renal and circulatory failure follow, which can be fatal. Burn patients are treated with intravenous fluids to offset...
Flame Photometry: Overview

