A huge meteorite 7-8 km in diameter collides with the earth.

Teams, such as Kyushu University and Kumamoto University, released to the English science journal dated the 16th the research findings that a huge meteorite 7-8 km in diameter collided with the earth at the maximum about 215 million years ago.
The ingredient of the meteorite was found in the stratum of Gifu Prefecture and Oita Prefecture, and it concluded that it lay on the wide range of the earth, and presumed the size.
It is said that it may have been connected with the mass extinction of the living thing.
It is announced that the team discovered the trace of the collision on the riverside of Sakahogi-cho, Gifu last year.
The same thing was found along the seashore in Tsukumi-shi, Oita in January, this year.
This is with "osmium".   Although it is metallic elements to say and is very small on the surface of the earth, it is mostly contained in a meteorite.
It was contained in the stratum of both prefectures at a high concentration.
When the ratio of the ingredient an "isotope" is analyzed, it is surface of the earth.   It differs from what existing and judged it as what was contained in the meteorite.
From the past research, it had become clear that there was a fixed relation to a size and the quantity of osmium for every kind of meteorite, and it computed the diameter of the meteorite with 3.3～7.8 km.
Is it a remarkable shock?
Isn't there any wonder, even if many living things are exterminated? 


約２億１５００万年前に最大で直径７・８キロの巨大隕石が地球に衝突したとの研究結果を、九州大と熊本大などのチームが１６日付の英科学誌に発表した。
　岐阜県と大分県の地層で隕石の成分を見つけ、地球の広い範囲に降り積もったとみて大きさを推定した。生物の大量絶滅につながった可能性があるという。
　 チームは昨年、岐阜県坂祝町の川沿いで衝突の痕跡を発見したと発表。今年１月に大分県津久見市の海岸沿いで同様のものを見つけた。これは「オスミウム」と いう金属元素で、地表では非常に少ないが、隕石には多く含まれる。両県の地層には高い濃度で含まれていた。「同位体」という成分の比率を分析すると、地表 に存在するものと異なっており、隕石に含まれていたものと判断した。
　過去の研究から、隕石の種類ごとに大きさとオスミウムの量には一定の関係があることが判明しており、隕石の直径を３・３～７・８キロと算出した。かなりの衝撃でしょうね。多くの生物が絶滅したとしても不思議は無いでしょうね。