# Comet/Meteor Strike and Volcanism...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-meteor-strike-and-volcanism/156384>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 20, 2003, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-meteor-strike-and-volcanism/156384 "2003-02-20T19:02:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gibby701](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gibby701](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gibby701)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-meteor-strike-and-volcanism/156384/1 "2003-02-20T19:02:06Z")

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Good afternoon all,

Just wondering if a large scale comet/meteor strike would set off nearby/faraway volcanoes? Any thoughts?

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**Author:** ![yme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/35a633/32.png) [@yme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yme)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-meteor-strike-and-volcanism/156384/2 "2003-02-20T19:13:27Z")

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I would think a lage Meteor smashing into the earth causing plates to shift would cause something of the magnitude. That would have to be one hell of a rock though.

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**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-meteor-strike-and-volcanism/156384/3 "2003-02-20T19:41:12Z")

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The coincidence of the impact which killed the dinosaurs and the creation of the Deccan Flats is interesting.

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-meteor-strike-and-volcanism/156384/4 "2003-02-20T19:46:54Z")

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There’s also speculation of a strike during the Siberian Traps events around the time of the Permian extinction.

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**Author:** ![gibby701](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gibby701](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gibby701)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-meteor-strike-and-volcanism/156384/5 "2003-02-20T21:33:00Z")

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Thank you for the quick and informative responses!

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**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-meteor-strike-and-volcanism/156384/6 "2003-02-20T21:47:19Z")

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One would think that volcanic eruptions would be the least of people’s worries. A “large scale comet/meteor strike” would probably have more global, and permanent consequences.

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**Author:** ![gibby701](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gibby701](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gibby701)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-meteor-strike-and-volcanism/156384/7 "2003-02-20T21:54:51Z")

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Well…at this point I am only looking at the late Pleistocene/early Holocene for this scenario…strictly background to a mostly fictional novel…plenty of great info while Googling though! Thanks

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comet-meteor-strike-and-volcanism/156384/8 "2003-02-20T22:39:30Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Duckster \*  
> \*\*One would think that volcanic eruptions would be the least of people’s worries. A “large scale comet/meteor strike” would probably have more global, and permanent consequences. \*\*

These aren’t just garden variety volcanic eruptions:  
[Deccan Traps](http://filebox.vt.edu/artsci/geology/mclean/Dinosaur_Volcano_Extinction/pages/deccantr.html)  
[Siberian Traps](http://palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/Palaeofiles/Permian/SiberianTraps.html)