The Day the Mesozoic Died - Issue 32: Space
▻http://nautil.us/issue/32/space/the-day-the-mesozoic-died
“Understanding how we decipher a great historical event written in the book of rocksmay be as interesting as the event itself.”—Walter Alvarez Built upon the slopes of Mount Ingino in Umbria, the ancient town of Gubbio boasts many well-preserved structures that document its glorious history. Founded by the Etruscans between the second and first centuries B.C., its Roman theater, Consuls Palace, and various churches and fountains are spectacular monuments to the Roman, Medieval, and Renaissance periods. It is one of those special destinations that draws tourists to this famous part of Italy. It was not the ancient architecture but the much longer natural history preserved in the rock formations outside the city walls that brought Walter Alvarez, a young American geologist, to Gubbio. (...)