Gamma-ray burst could kill off ocean life
in [Physics]
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From: Sam Wormley on 24 Jul 2010 22:43 Gamma-ray burst could kill off ocean life Jul 23, 2010 http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/43330 "A cosmic gamma-ray burst striking the Earth could be harmful to ocean plankton at depths of up to 75 m, according to a team of Cuban researchers. These organisms account for up to 40% of the ocean's photosynthesis, so such an event could have a serious impact on Earth's carbon dioxide levels". "Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous electromagnetic events known to occur in the universe, releasing up to 1044 J of gamma-ray energy in a narrow beam over several seconds. They come in two types, long and short, with the former the most common and thought to be caused by the core-collapse of a supernova. To date the GRBs observed have been in distant galaxies and not our own Milky Way. However, some researchers believe that a GRB was responsible for the Ordovician mass extinction approximately 450 million years ago". See: http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/43330
From: Brad Guth on 25 Jul 2010 00:04 On Jul 24, 7:43 pm, Sam Wormley <sworml...(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Gamma-ray burst could kill off ocean life > Jul 23, 2010 > http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/43330 > > "A cosmic gamma-ray burst striking the Earth could be harmful to ocean > plankton at depths of up to 75 m, according to a team of Cuban > researchers. These organisms account for up to 40% of the ocean's > photosynthesis, so such an event could have a serious impact on Earth's > carbon dioxide levels". > > "Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous electromagnetic events > known to occur in the universe, releasing up to 1044 J of gamma-ray > energy in a narrow beam over several seconds. They come in two types, > long and short, with the former the most common and thought to be caused > by the core-collapse of a supernova. To date the GRBs observed have been > in distant galaxies and not our own Milky Way. However, some researchers > believe that a GRB was responsible for the Ordovician mass extinction > approximately 450 million years ago". > > See:http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/43330 How much gamma did we get from Sirius(B)? ~ BG
From: nightbat on 25 Jul 2010 01:28 On Jul 24, 7:43 pm, Sam Wormley <sworml...(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Gamma-ray burst could kill off ocean life > Jul 23, 2010 > http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/43330 > > "A cosmic gamma-ray burst striking the Earth could be harmful to ocean > plankton at depths of up to 75 m, according to a team of Cuban > researchers. These organisms account for up to 40% of the ocean's > photosynthesis, so such an event could have a serious impact on Earth's > carbon dioxide levels". > > "Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous electromagnetic events > known to occur in the universe, releasing up to 1044 J of gamma-ray > energy in a narrow beam over several seconds. They come in two types, > long and short, with the former the most common and thought to be caused > by the core-collapse of a supernova. To date the GRBs observed have been > in distant galaxies and not our own Milky Way. However, some researchers > believe that a GRB was responsible for the Ordovician mass extinction > approximately 450 million years ago". > > See:http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/43330 nightbat Not to worry Sam my researched Red Halo bacteria can take what ever the cosmos has to dish out and the crystal properties could be directed to Uncle Al for investigation how exactly the Red Halo uses salt crystal to defuse any harmful effects away for survival. the nightbat
From: Chris.B on 25 Jul 2010 02:13 On Jul 25, 6:04 am, Brad Guth <bradg...(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > How much gamma did we get from Sirius(B)? It's a bit late to be contacting the ambulance chasers now.
From: Quadibloc on 25 Jul 2010 04:30
On Jul 24, 8:43 pm, Sam Wormley <sworml...(a)gmail.com> wrote: > "A cosmic gamma-ray burst striking the Earth could be harmful to ocean > plankton at depths of up to 75 m, according to a team of Cuban > researchers. These organisms account for up to 40% of the ocean's > photosynthesis, so such an event could have a serious impact on Earth's > carbon dioxide levels". Is this a hypothetical gamma ray burst, or one alleged to be currently in progress? Gamma rays of such intensity as to kill off plankton at depths of over 200 feet... while they would clearly have serious consequences for the Earth's ecology as a whole, leading to poorer recovery then after such mere bagatelles by comparison as the Cretaceous-Tertiary event, this difference would be of an academic nature to the human race, as radiation of such intensity would exterminate it. Of course, if the burst is brief enough, there would always be survivors on the opposite side of the Earth - meaning _less_ impact on the diversity of life than an asteroid extinction event, since lifeforms at every level of the ecology would survive, not just the smallest ones. But even then, if it was currently happening, I think we'd notice. John Savard |