(Click on images to enlarge)
For this geologist there is a great thrill of hands-on experience like running your fingers in cake frosting, fresh apple pie, or in this case, the brown clay layer of the famous K-T boundary just outside
(Click on images to enlarge)
For this geologist there is a great thrill of hands-on experience like running your fingers in cake frosting, fresh apple pie, or in this case, the brown clay layer of the famous K-T boundary just outside Gubbio, Italy. We had our hands-on experience May 15, 2011 during the Ceri Festival.
This layer was the first found of now about a hundred similar boundaries world-wide that contain the tell-tail iridium anomaly suggesting a massive extinction due to an asteroid impact. Geologist Walter Alavarez was studying this extinction boundary and brought back clay samples to his father Luis Alaveraz, a nuclear physicist. The father and son joined forces with Helen Mitchel and Frank Asaro, and put together the compelling story of the asteroid caused extinction. For a good overview of this work see (Rocks from space sec. ed. by Richard Norton pp 375-380).
Internet searches regarding access to this site were sketchy to discouraging in that directions were unclear or the site was fenced off and unaccessible for close examination. Take note however, that the strata containing the clay layer has no fences, is within walking distance from Gubbio, and is well known by people in