New evidence that an extraterrestrial collision 12,800 years ago triggered an abrupt climate change for Earth
- Written by Christopher R. Moore, Archaeologist and Special Projects Director at the Savannah River Archaeological Research Program and South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of South Carolina
The muck that's been accumulating at the bottom of this lake for 20,000 years is like a climate time capsule.Christopher R. Moore, CC BY-ND
What kicked off the Earth’s rapid cooling 12,800 years ago?
In the space of just a couple of years, average temperatures abruptly dropped, resulting in temperatures as much as 14 degrees Fahrenheit cooler...

