Scientists have uncovered a massive impact crater buried deep beneath the Atlantic seafloor — a 5.6-mile-wide (9 km) scar known as the Nadir Crater.Located approximately 1,000 feet (300 meters) below the ocean floor, the crater was formed around 66 million years ago when an asteroid roughly 1,500 feet (450–500 meters) wide slammed into Earth at approximately 45,000 mph (72,000 km/h). The timing coincides closely with the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs.New high-resolution 3D seismic imaging has revealed the dramatic moments following the impact: molten rock surged upward from the crust, the seafloor fractured across thousands of square miles, and a colossal tsunami over 2,600 feet (800 meters) high raced across the ocean.Unlike most impact craters on land, which have been heavily eroded over millions of years, the Nadir Crater remained remarkably well-preserved beneath thick layers of marine sediment. This rare preservation offers scientists an unprecedented, detailed view of what happens during a large asteroid strike in the ocean.The discovery serves as a powerful reminder that Earth still carries hidden scars from ancient cosmic events — many of which we are only now beginning to uncover.[Nicholson, U., Powell, W., Gulick, S. et al. (2024). 3D anatomy of the Cretaceous–Paleogene age Nadir Crater. Communications Earth & Environment, 5, 547.DOI: 10.1038/s43247-024-01700-4]Science and facts💡
Scientists have uncovered a massive impact crater buried deep beneath the Atlantic seafloor — a 5.6-mile-wide (9 km) scar known as the Nadir Crater.Located approximately 1,000 feet (300 meters) below the ocean floor, the crater was formed around 66 million years ago when an asteroid roughly 1,500 feet (450–500 meters) wide slammed into Earth at approximately 45,000 mph (72,000 km/h). The timing co...
