Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Spawned a 1-Mile-High Mega-Tsunami (Video)
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- A massive meteor about 6.2 miles wide struck the Yucatan Peninsula at extreme speed, releasing energy equivalent to 4.5 billion Hiroshima atomic bombs and causing the extinction of the dinosaurs.
- The impact generated superheated winds, molten rock rain, and a colossal tsunami wave 1.5 kilometers high, followed by additional tsunamis between 50 and 150 meters high due to massive earthquakes.
- The asteroid impact transported 48,000 cubic miles of sediment across the Gulf of Mexico, covering large parts of Mexico and the Caribbean with debris, and triggered global earthquakes and volcanic activity.
- Had the asteroid hit deeper waters, the tsunami could have reached heights of 4.6 kilometers, devastating nearly all of Europe except the highest mountain peaks.
- Scientists warn that a similar asteroid impact and resulting mega-tsunami in modern times could cause catastrophic global damage, highlighting ongoing concerns about planetary defense.
