Iridium, a hard, whitish metal similar to platinum, is extremely rare on Earth. Extremely high concentrations of iridium on Earth result from only two scenarios: massive volcanic eruptions that release iridium from deep within the Earth and meteorites that shower down on Earth from space. When scientists found concentrations of iridium 30 times higher than normal in rock stratum from 65 million years ago, they concluded that a massive meteor or comet hit the Earth and caused the massive extinction of the dinosaurs.