[goatlover]

The impact which ended the era of the dinosaurs had an estimated energy greater than all the nuclear weapons in the world. Granted, it was concentrated in one area. But the result was thought to have effected the entire planet, with the sun being blocked out for several years, resulting in the collapse of plant life and drop in temperatures. The forests around the world may have also ignited after ejecta from the impact fell back to earth, temporarily superheating the atmosphere.