Hypercanes: A possible link in global extinction scenarios

Bolide impacts and large-scale volcanic eruptions have been proposed as possible causes of the massive extinction of life that has occurred episodically in Earth's history. In spite of the catastrophic disruption of the local environment that accompanies bolide impacts and volcanic eruptions, it has been difficult to explain why these events sometimes lead to global extinction of species. We propose that, in some cases, the missing link may be provided by hypercanes, runaway hurricanes that are capable of injecting massive amounts of water and aerosols into the middle and upper stratosphere, where they may have profound effects on atmospheric chemistry and radiative transfer. Hypercanes are theorized to occur when the sea surface temperature exceeds a critical threshold, which may occur when sea water is locally heated by bolide impact, shallow-sea volcanism, or possibly, by overturning of superheated brine pools formed by underwater volcanic activity. Simulations using a convection-resolving nonhydrostatic, axisymmetric numerical model show that hypercanes can indeed develop when the sea surface temperature is high, and that they inject large amounts of mass into the stratosphere.