Shelf hypoxia in response to global warming after the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary impact

Global warming following the Chicxulub asteroid impact at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary triggered shelf hypoxia, offering a parallel to current climate change. The study, analyzing high-resolution geochemical and paleontological records from Stevns Klint (Denmark), Brazos-1 (Texas, USA), and Caravaca (Spain), reveals that rapid warming post-impact led to oxygen-depleted bottom waters due to reduced gas solubility, decreased ocean ventilation, and increased nutrient inputs. This hypoxia caused significant stress on benthic communities, highlighting the ecological consequences of abrupt climate shifts.

Vellekoop, J., Woelders, L., van Helmond, N. A. G. M., Galeotti, S., Smit, J., Slomp, C. P., Brinkhuis, H., Claeys, P., & Speijer, R. P. (2018). Shelf hypoxia in response to global warming after the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary impact. Geology, 46(8), 683–686. https://doi.org/10.1130/g45000.1