Asteroid Impact Likely Created North Sea Crater, Say Scientists

Asteroid Impact Likely Created North Sea Crater, Say Scientists
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The Silverpit crater, a large crater located 700 meters below the seabed of the North Sea, was most likely formed by an asteroid or comet impact, according to new research cited by The Guardian. The finding provides what scientists claim is the strongest evidence to date for the crater’s impact origin, a theory that has been debated for decades.

For years, the origin of the crater, which is located about 80 miles off the coast of Yorkshire, has been a source of scientific debate. One theory suggested it was a result of geological salt movements, while the other proposed an asteroid impact. The new research, led by Uisdean Nicholson of Heriot-Watt University, used advanced seismic imaging and other analyses to make their claim.

The study suggests that an asteroid approximately 160 meters wide, roughly the size of York Minster, struck the area more than 43 million years ago. This impact is believed to have caused a 100-meter-high tsunami. The crater itself is about 2 miles wide and is surrounded by a 12-mile-wide zone of circular faults.

While a significant event, this impact was not as catastrophic as the one that created the Chicxulub crater in Mexico 66 million years ago, which is linked to the extinction of the dinosaurs. The Silverpit crater is considered the only known impact crater near the UK and is exceptionally well-preserved. It stands as a testament to the powerful, though rare, cosmic events that have shaped Earth’s history.