Asteroid impact confirmed under North Sea
Scientists confirm a massive crater under the North Sea was caused by an asteroid impact.
Why it matters
- Understanding asteroid impacts helps us grasp Earth's history and potential future threats.
By the numbers
- Crater is 2 miles wide and 700 meters below the seabed.
- Asteroid was about 160 meters wide, and the impact was around 43 million years ago.
- Impact caused a 100-meter-high tsunami.
The big picture
- This is the only impact crater near the UK.
- One of only 33 identified beneath the ocean.
- Important for understanding how asteroid impacts shape our planet.
What they're saying
- Initial debate among scientists, with some favoring a non-impact origin.
- New seismic imaging and analysis provide strong evidence for the asteroid impact theory.
Caveats
- Initial debate among scientists, but new evidence supports asteroid impact theory.
What’s next
- Findings help understand how asteroid impacts shape our planet and predict future impacts.