Scientists have discovered a crater 8 km wide, formed as a result of the impact of an asteroid that fell to Earth about 66 million years ago. Located at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean near West Africa, it was discovered by Wisdean Nicholson, assistant professor at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.

While analyzing seismic data for another project on the watershed between South America and Africa, he stumbled upon a crater that could change the course of science. While there is still a need for more in-depth study to confirm the origin, it has all the characteristics expected of anything caused by impact.

According to scientists, there must be a certain proportion between the width and depth of the crater, in addition to the presence of edges and a characteristic central elevation: “It had all the characteristics of an impact crater,” said the person responsible for the discovery.

This Thursday, the journal Scientific Advances published a study (18) stating the importance of this discovery. This is because they are considered rare in the geological record, and several hundred have been discovered on Earth during these years.

“Finding terrestrial impact craters is always important because they are very rare in the geological record. There are fewer than 200 confirmed impact structures on Earth and several likely candidates that have yet to be unequivocally confirmed,” said Mark Boslow, professor and researcher in earth and planetary sciences at the University of New Mexico.

However, one of the things that generated the most enthusiasm is the fact that it is an impact crater located in the ocean. Although they are more common, they are less preserved or studied by science. This is because there are only a few examples that have managed to become famous in the world through study.

Effects all over the planet

Even though it is smaller than the asteroid that formed the Chicxulub crater and is 160 kilometers wide and caused the extinction of most life on Earth, Nicholson’s discovery would cause significant damage to life on Earth, at least in the area close to the impact.

This is because it was caused by an asteroid 400 meters wide and could have had serious consequences. Among them, a strong earthquake and an explosion that could be heard in every corner of the world.

“The collision would have serious consequences locally and regionally, at least across the Atlantic Ocean. There would be a massive earthquake—magnitude 6.5 or 7—so strong that it would shake the whole place. An explosion of air would be heard everywhere. world and would cause serious local damage to the entire region,” the scientist said.

Falling into the ocean, it would also have caused a tsunami, which scientists consider to be “exceptionally strong.” However, it would have dissipated, in line with what has developed, reaching the coast of South America “only” five meters high.

Now the researchers want to know if the asteroid that hit near Africa had anything to do with the Chicxulub impact, or if it’s just a massive coincidence. If there is any connection, it is possible that the asteroid is a dismemberment of an even larger body that fell to Earth at that time.

“Understanding the exact nature of the Chicxulub connection is important to understanding what was going on in the solar system at the time and raised some interesting new questions. If there were two impacts at the same time, there could be other craters. And how did it affect the cascade of multiple collisions?” Nicholson said.

A giant hole in the Chilean desert continues to grow and worries scientists
The Tierra Amarilla crater, 36.5 m wide and 64 m deep, continues to grow.

Via: CNN

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