The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago confirmed a mile-high tsunami that hit North America, as confirmed by the petrified “mega-ring”.
These wavy lines, buried in sediment in what is now central Louisiana, were discovered by seismic imaging by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Scientists have spent decades searching for evidence of this extinction-level event, including finding the asteroid’s dramatic impact when it hit what is now Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
In addition to the giant tsunami that sent tidal waves thousands of miles from the impact site, there were wildfires 1,000 miles away, and plumes of dust that circled the globe.
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Asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago sent a mile-high tsunami crashing into North America, fossil ‘megaripples’ confirmed
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These wavy lines (pictured), buried in sediment in what is now central Louisiana, were discovered by seismic imaging by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
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What causes tsunamis?
Tsunamis, sometimes called tidal waves or seismic ocean waves, are a series of giant waves that arise from disturbances in the ocean.
The disturbance can be in the form of landslides, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes or meteors; The culprit is often earthquakes.
If a landslide or earthquake that triggers a tsunami occurs near the coast, residents can immediately see the impact.
The first wave of a tsunami could arrive in a matter of minutes, before the government or other agencies could issue a warning.
Areas closer to sea level are more susceptible to waves.
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Using seismic imaging carried out by oil companies operating in the area, US scientists looked at the ground 5,000 feet below the surface, up to the time of impact, and found fossilized ripples half a mile apart and 50 feet high.
The team explained that they were traces of tsunami waves propagating from the impact crater, and as they approached the coast, they disrupted the ocean floor.
These waves hit the water as deep as 200 feet as they approach the shore, the tides getting higher as they hit the coastal slopes.
The direction of the ripples 5,000 feet below central Louisiana is consistent with how they expected the waves to hit after the asteroid impact.
Draw a line from the top of these ripples directly towards the Chicxulub crater about 1,000 miles from the area the researchers surveyed using seismic imaging.
This means that the area is ideal for preserving ripples that will eventually get buried in the sediment.
“The water is so deep that once the tsunami stops, regular storm surges can’t disturb what’s there,” said study author Gary Kinsland. Science.
This means that the trail of the ripples remained for 66 million years, covered by a layer of air-dropping debris stuck to the asteroid’s crater.
This line image of the peak of these ripples goes straight to the Chicxulub crater about 1,000 miles from the area the researchers surveyed using seismic imaging.
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A tsunami can be so severe that its waves reach a mile high and cause an earthquake on Earth when it hits Earth at more than 11 degrees on the Richter scale.
It will destroy the environment, send marine life to land, wildlife to sea and kill millions of creatures in the process.
The study’s authors said the tsunami would last for several days, reflecting its impact several times on the Gulf of Mexico, lessening each time.
The ripples seen in the sediment are the force of a massive wall of water hitting a steep cliff near the coast and returning to the source of the tsunami – the asteroid impact.
Using seismic imaging carried out by oil companies operating in the area, US scientists looked at the ground 5,000 feet below the surface, up to the time of impact, and found fossilized ripples half a mile apart and 50 feet high.
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A tsunami can be so strong that its waves reach a mile high and cause an earthquake on the ground when it hits the ground more than 11 degrees on the Richter scale.
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The effects themselves may have wreaked havoc for thousands of miles, but the effects are felt globally through changes in the atmosphere.
This is what wiped out many species, ended the Mesozoic Era and closed the Age of Dinosaurs.
The team hopes to find further evidence of tsunami ripples after the impact, helping to piece together the mystery of this extinction event.
The results are published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letter.
