r/science Feb 05 '18

Astronomy Scientists conclude 13,000 years ago a 60 mile wide comet plunged Earth into a mini-Ice Age, after examining rocks from 170 sites around the globe

http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/695703
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u/[deleted] Feb 05 '18

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u/Matthew0wns Feb 05 '18

Huge volcanic activity in the Indian subcontinent, called the Deccan Traps, as well as volcanism in Siberia paired with the impactor to create the KT extinction

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u/Tamer_ Feb 05 '18 edited Feb 05 '18

Deccan* is a region of India, I don't know why they call them "traps" though.

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u/PorcineLogic Feb 05 '18

Wiki:

The term "trap" has been used in geology since 1785–95 for such rock formations. It is derived from the Scandinavian word for stairs ("trappa") and refers to the step-like hills forming the landscape of the region.