Crater under North Sea was created by asteroid impact, scientists say
4 hours ago
- #North Sea
- #Asteroid Impact
- #Geology
- The Silverpit crater, located 700 meters below the North Sea seabed, was likely created by an asteroid or comet impact over 43 million years ago.
- The asteroid, about 160 meters wide, caused a 100-meter-high tsunami and was roughly the size of York Minster.
- Unlike the Chicxulub crater (which wiped out the dinosaurs), Silverpit is smaller but significant as the only known impact crater near the UK.
- Discovered in 2002, the crater was initially debated—some scientists believed it was formed by geological salt movements rather than an asteroid.
- New seismic imaging and research led by Uisdean Nicholson provide strong evidence supporting the asteroid impact theory.
- Only around 200 confirmed impact craters exist on land, with just 33 identified beneath the ocean, making Silverpit exceptionally well-preserved.
- The findings help scientists understand past asteroid impacts and prepare for potential future collisions.
- The study was published in Nature Communications.