Seismic research has revealed evidence of an impact on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of West Africa.
The discovery was made during a seismicsounding. Under a layer of 600 m of water and 400 m of sediment 400 km off the coast of Guinea, researchers discovered an elliptical "hole" about 8.5 km in diameter and about 40 m deep. the result of being hit by a large object.
Map of the Guinea Plateau, with the Nadir crater indicated by a dotted line. Image: Uisdean Nicholson et al., Science Advances
The hypothesis of a meteorite impact also confirms"central uplift". The powerful pressure caused by the fall of a large object causes particles of solid materials to behave like liquids, scientists explain. The rock splits into pieces, spills and forever freezes in a new form.
The scientists used computer simulations,to restore events. The study showed that a crater of this shape could be formed when an asteroid impacted at least 400 m on the ocean floor at a depth of about 800 m. The authors of the work estimate the impact power at 5,000 Mt in TNT equivalent. The explosion was supposed to produce a fireball about 10 km wide and be accompanied by an earthquake with a magnitude of at least 7 points and a huge tsunami.
Seismic profile of underwater rocks. Image: Uisdean Nicholson et al., Science Advances
The researchers note that the craters Nadir andChickshulub formed at about the same time. They believe that it was formed as part of an impact cluster that occurred at the same time, or as a result of the breakup of a common parent asteroid. It is possible that several fragments of one cosmic body fell to Earth at the same time, which caused global cataclysms and led to the mass extinction of dinosaurs and other animals and plants of the Cretaceous period.
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