Chicxulub Crater

The collision that formed the Chicxulub crater occurred approximately 66 million years ago and is considered one of the most significant catastrophes in Earth’s history.

The exact nature of the object that collided with Earth is not fully understood, but the most likely hypothesis is a collision with an asteroid or comet. This cosmic object likely had a diameter of about 10 km.

A collision of this magnitude resulted in a powerful energetic event. Experts estimate that the impact energy was equivalent to tens of billions of tons of TNT, making it one of the most powerful events in the planet’s history.

The impact of such a cosmic object led to the formation of a massive crater approximately 180 km in diameter. More recent evidence suggests the actual crater is 300 km wide, and the 180 km ring is, in fact, an inner wall of it.

The collision released a tremendous amount of energy, causing fires in surrounding areas and significant temperature increases. A cloud of super-heated dust, ash, and steam would have spread from the crater as the impactor burrowed underground in less than a second.

A large amount of dust, gases, and debris ejected during the impact rose into the atmosphere, blocking sunlight. This led to ecosystem disruption and climate change lasting for a long period.

Excavated material along with pieces of the impactor, ejected out of the atmosphere by the blast, would have been heated to incandescence upon re-entry, broiling the Earth’s surface and possibly igniting wildfires; meanwhile, colossal shock waves would have triggered global earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

It is possible that the collision triggered the formation of massive tsunamis that spread across ocean basins. The impact would have caused a megatsunami over 100 m tall that would have reached what is now Texas and Florida.

These collision consequences, including prolonged darkness, climate cooling, and ecosystem destruction, led to the mass extinction of many species, including dinosaurs.

The emission of dust and particles could have covered the entire surface of the Earth for several years, possibly a decade, creating a harsh environment for living things. The shock production of carbon dioxide caused by the destruction of carbonate rocks would have led to a sudden greenhouse effect.

Over a decade or longer, sunlight would have been blocked from reaching the surface of the Earth by the dust particles in the atmosphere, cooling the surface dramatically. Photosynthesis by plants would also have been interrupted, affecting the entire food chain.

Compared to the Tunguska event or other large meteorite explosions, the impact that formed the Chicxulub crater was much more devastating and had longer-lasting consequences for the planet.

The Chicxulub crater was discovered through aeromagnetic surveys, which allow researchers to study the geological structure and rock composition beneath the Earth’s surface.

In the case of Chicxulub, aeromagnetic surveys revealed anomalies in the magnetic field around the Yucatán Peninsula. These anomalies indicated the presence of unusual geological structures beneath the surface, catching the attention of scientists and researchers.

Subsequent studies and drilling confirmed that the detected anomaly corresponds to an impact crater formed approximately 66 million years ago. This allowed scientists to better understand the crater’s structure, and geological origin, and expand our knowledge of the consequences of cosmic object collisions with Earth.

The discovery of the Chicxulub crater immediately sparked interest among scientists due to its enormous size and young age (approximately 66 million years).

Further research into the crater and its surrounding areas revealed characteristics typical of cosmic impacts, such as high levels of iridium (a metal usually rare on Earth but often present in asteroids and comets).

Scientists have also discovered that during the same period as the formation of the Chicxulub crater, there was a mass extinction event affecting many animal and plant species, including dinosaurs. This event is known as the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary catastrophe.

Based on this data, scientists hypothesized that the collision of an asteroid or comet with Earth led to this mass extinction. This hypothesis was confirmed by models showing how massive dust and gas emissions after the impact could have influenced the planet’s climate and ecological systems.

Further research, including analysis of geological sediments and textbooks, supported the hypothesis that the Chicxulub impact crater and the mass extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary were interconnected.

Thus, the theory that an asteroid or comet impact at Chicxulub caused the extinction of dinosaurs emerged from a combination of geological research and data on mass extinction, and has since gained wide acceptance within the scientific community.