Extreme Mega-Heatwaves: Lethal Continental Soil Temperatures as a Primary Mechanism of Mass Extinction in Mega-Impact Events

Mass extinction events have been predominantly attributed to atmospheric effects. This paper proposes an additional systematically overlooked mechanism: the extreme and prolonged heating of continental soils as a direct consequence of extraterrestrial mega-impacts, operating within the CFAB (Crust-Fracturing Antipodal Bullet) theoretical framework. Applying the physical principle of uniformitarianism, quantitative comparisons are established between modern temperatures measured in deserts (Death Valley: 93.9°C verified NOAA/NPS; Lut Desert: 80.8°C per Zhao et al. 2021, BAMS DOI: 10.1175/BAMS-D-20-0325.1) and reconstructed Phanerozoic temperatures, validated by clumped isotope measurements in PETM paleosols (35-41°C at depth). Soil temperatures in arid zones during the Permian-Triassic boundary (~252 Ma) are estimated to have potentially reached 90-125°C, far above lethal thresholds for any known plant system. The pole-to-pole Pangea configuration represented maximum possible vulnerability, explaining why that extinction eliminated 96% of marine species and 70% of terrestrial species. Suplemento to: Deep Impacts of Asteroids or Comets with Metallic Cores that Penetrate the Earth: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18204600 The Origin of the Universe: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17948685 https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1089-9023. Contact: [email protected] Part of the Proyecto A.D.A. (Architecture of Survival) series - Preprint 20. A chapter of: Survival Architecture: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=epWgEQAAQBAJ Arquitectura de la supervivencia: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Alejandro_D%C3%ADaz_Aldana_Arquitectura_de_la_Supervive?id=DpCgEQAAQBAJ