The Chicxulub crater on the Yucatan Peninsula: dimensions, origin and history of discovery

Many of us have heard about the Tunguska meteorite. At the same time, few know about his brother that fell to Earth in ancient times. Chicxulub-crater, formed after the fall of the meteorite 65 million years ago. His appearance on Earth has led to serious consequences that impacted the planet as a whole.

Where is the Chicxulub crater?

It Is located in the North-Western area of the Yucatan Peninsula, and also at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. The Chicxulub crater with a diameter of 180 km claims to be the largest meteorite crater on Earth. Part of it is on land, and the second part under the waters of the Gulf.

History

The Discovery of the crater was a random. Because it has a huge size, something about its existence is not even guessed. Scientists discovered it quite by accident in 1978 during geophysical studies of the Gulf of Mexico. A research expedition was organised by the company "Pemex" (full name “Petrolium Mexican”). In front of her had a difficult task-to find oil deposits on the bottom of the Bay. Geophysicists Glen Penfield and Antonio Camargo in research first, found a stunningly symmetrical semidesyatiletnego arc under water. A gravity map scientists have found a continuation of that arc on the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico) near the village of Chicxulub.

The village Name translates from the Mayan language as “demon ticks”. This name is associated with incredible number of insects in this region since ancient times. It is the consideration of the Yucatan Peninsula on the map (gravity) allowed us to make many assumptions.

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Scientific substantiation of the hypothesis

Having found arcs form a circle, the diameter of which is 180 kilometers. One of the researchers named Penfield immediately suggested that this impact crater caused by the meteorite fall.

His theory was correct, which was confirmed by some facts. Inside the crater was found a gravitational anomaly. In addition, scientists have discovered samples of “shock quartz”, with impaction of the molecular structure and the glassy tektites. Such substances can be formed only at extreme pressures and temperatures. That Chixculub – crater, which has no equal on Earth, is not in doubt, but needed irrefutable evidence to confirm the assumptions. And they were found.

Scientific hypothesis has been the Professor of the University of calgary, Hildebrante in 1980 through the study of the chemical composition of the rocks of the area and detailed satellite imagery of the Peninsula.

The Consequences of the meteorite fall

It is believed that the Chicxulub-crater formed by the meteorite, the diameter of which is at least ten kilometers. The calculations of scientists show that the meteorite was moving at a slight angle from the Southeast. His speed was equal to 30 kilometers per second.

The Fall of a huge cosmic body on the Earth occurred about 65 million years ago. Scientists assume that this event occurred just at the turn of Paleogene and the Cretaceous period. The impact was catastrophic and has had a huge impact on the further development of life on Earth. In the collision of a meteorite with the earth's surface formed the largest crater on Earth.

According to scientists, the power stroke has exceeded several million times the power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. As a result of the strike formed the large crater in the Ground surrounded by a ridge, the height of which amounted to several thousand meters. But soon the ridge collapsed due to earthquakes and other geological changes triggered by the meteorite impact. According to scientists, from the powerful shock started a tsunami. Presumably the height of the waves was 50-100 meters. The waves went on the continents, destroying everything in its path.

Global cooling on the planet

The Shock wave went around the whole Earth several times. With high temperature, it causes severe forest fires. In different regions of the world intensified volcanism and other tectonic processes. Numerous eruptions and burning of large forest areas led to the fact that the atmosphere got a huge amount of gas, dust, ash and soot. It is difficult to visualize, but raised particles of a process called volcanic winter. It lies in the fact that a large part of solar energy reflected by the atmosphere, resulting in global cooling occurs.

Climate change along with other heavy hitting effects had a detrimental influence on the living world of the planet. Plants not enough light for photosynthesis, which led to a reduction of oxygen in the atmosphere. The disappearance of a great part of Land cover led to the deaths of animals that did not have enough food. These events led to the complete extinction of the dinosaurs.

Extinction at the boundary of the Cretaceous and Paleogene period

The fall of the meteorite is currently the most compelling reason for the mass death of allliving in the Cretaceous period. The version of the extinction of living beings took place before opened Chicxulub (the crater). And about the reasons that caused the cold climate, could only guess.

Scientists found high levels of iridium (a rare element) deposits, whose age is approximately equal to 65 million years. Interesting is the fact that high concentrations of the element were found not only in Yucatan but in the other locations of the planet. Therefore, experts say that most likely occurred a meteor shower.

On the boundary of the Paleogene and Cretaceous became extinct all dinosaurs, flying dinosaurs, marine reptiles, which long reigned in this period. Absolutely, all ecosystems were destroyed. In the absence of the large lizards has accelerated the evolution of birds and mammals, species diversity significantly increased.

According to scientists, it can be assumed that other mass extinctions were triggered by the fall of large meteorites. The calculations suggests that the Earth large cosmic body fall once in a hundred million years. And this roughly corresponds to intervals of time between mass extinctions.

What happened after the meteor hit?

What happened on Earth after the fall of the meteorite? According to paleontologist Daniel Durda (Research Institute of Colorado) in just minutes and watch the lush and flourishing world of the planet has become a desolate earth. Thousands of miles from the crash site of the meteorite, everything was completely destroyed. The strike claimed the lives of more than three quarters of all living beings and plants on Earth. The most severely affected dinosaurs, they all died.

For a Long time people were not even aware of the existence of the crater. But after he was found, there was a need for his research, because scientists have a lot of hypotheses that require validation, issues and assumptions. If you look at the Yucatan Peninsula on the map, it is difficult to imagine the real size of the crater on the ground. Its Northern part is located away from the coast and covered 600 meters of oceanic sediments.

In 2016, scientists began drilling in the area offshore portion of the crater, to remove core samples. Analysis of the extracted samples will shed light on the events that occurred a long time ago.

Events that took place after the disaster

The Fall of an asteroid evaporated a huge part of the earth's crust. Above the fall soared into the sky, the debris on the Ground fires and volcanic eruptions. It soot and dust shut out the sun light and plunged the planet into a very long period of winter darkness.

In the months that followed, dust and debris crumbled to the earth's surface, covering the planet in a dense layer of asteroid dust. This layer is for paleontologists evidence of a turning point in the history of the Earth.

In the area of North America to the impact of a meteorite flourished lush forest with thick undergrowth of ferns and flowers. The climate in those days was much warmer than the present. The poles had no snow and dinosaurs roamed not only on Alaska but on Samurovic Islands.

The Effects of meteorite impacts on earth, scientists studied by analyzing the Cretaceous-Paleogene layer found in more than 300 locations worldwide. This gave grounds to say that near the epicenter of the event killed all life. The opposite part of the planet suffered earthquakes, tsunamis, lack of light and other effects of the disaster.

Those living beings that are not killed immediately died from lack of food and water, destroyed by acid rain. The loss of vegetation led to the death of herbivores, which had suffered from flesh-eating and, left without power. Was broken all the links of the chain.

The researchers

According to scientists who studied fossils in the Earth could only survive the small creatures (like raccoons, for example). They had a chance to survive in those conditions. Because they eat less, reproduced faster, and easier to adapt.

The Fossils suggests that in Europe and North America were more favorable situation after the disaster than in other places. Mass extinction – it is an ambivalent process. If on the one hand something was lost in the other side should something arise. So say the scientists.

The restoration of the Land took a very long time. Hundreds, and even thousands of years before it was restored ecosystems. Presumably, the oceans took three million years to restore the normal life of organisms.

After severe fires in the land settled ferns, quickly populating the charred regions. Those ecosystems that have escaped the fire, was inhabited by mosses and algae. The areas least affected by the destruction, become places in which could survive some species of living beings. Later they moved across the planet. For example, in the oceans survived sharks, fish, crocodiles.

A Complete disappearance of the dinosaurs opened up new ecological niches that could be occupied by other beings. In further migration of mammals in the freed space has led to the current abundance on the planet.

New information about the past of the planet

Drilling of the world's largest crater, located in the heart of the Yucatan Peninsula, and the taking of allnew samples will allow scientists to obtain more data about how was formed the crater, and the consequences fall on the formation of new climatic conditions. Samples taken from the inner part of the crater, will allow experts to understand what happened with the Ground after a severe blow, and how in the future restored life. The scientists are interested to understand what happened during reconstruction and who returned first, how fast were the evolutionary diversity of forms.

Despite the fact that the killed individual species and organisms, other life forms began to flourish doubly. According to scientists, such a picture of distress on the planet could be repeated in the history of Earth many times. And every time, and everything alive was dying, and there was further recovery processes. Likely that the course of history and development would be different if 65 million years ago an asteroid fell to the planet. Experts also do not exclude the possibility that life on earth originated due to falling of large asteroids.

Instead of an epilogue

The fall of the asteroid has caused the strongest hydrothermal activity in the Chicxulub crater, which likely lasted for 100,000 years. It could give the opportunity hypermutation and thermophiles (this is an exotic single-celled organisms) thrive in hot environments, settling inside the crater. This hypothesis of the scientists, of course, needs to be tested. It is the drilling of rocks can help to shed light on many events. Therefore, scientists have many more questions that need answers, studying the Chicxulub (the crater).