Impact that killed dinosaurs triggered ‘mega earthquake’

The research, presented on Sunday 9th at the American Geological Society event in Denver, The impact of the Chicxulub meteorite, which wiped out the dinosaurs, caused mega earthquakes and tsunamis days and months after its fall..

The fall of the Chicxulub meteorite about 66 million years ago raises several theories about its role not only in the extinction of the dinosaurs, but also in how it affected the Earth and its geological transformations.

Examining signs of impact on disaster dimensions From the analysis of the sedimentary layer of the soil, called the K-Pg boundaryIt is the turning point between the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods when iridium was abundant.

But in addition to the chemical element, Hermann Bermúdez found other deposits that could shed new light on events after the collision. During an expedition in Gorgonila, Colombia in 2014, he found very interesting geological evidence.

Small glass spheres called “tektites and microtectites”, located at the K-Pg boundary, formed from the pressure and temperature caused by the meteor impact, were described by Bermúdez. In addition to being found in Colombia, the findings are being replicated in Mexico, where the coup mark is found on the Yucatan Peninsula, and also in the United States.

Globes associated with Montclair State University, New Jersey, for the Paleoexplorer research group clues as to what happened during and after the collision, not just on the surface but also at sea..

According to Hernann, the soil samples observed at Gorgonila are very rich, because at the time of the impact it was under water and was not damaged by the tsunamis, well protecting the “scene” of events.

Even beneath the ocean, large masses of mud, sediment, and microorganisms were turned upside down by the event, mixed and collected at the K-Pg boundary, according to the researchers. For scientists, this new evidence proves that the effect is estimated at 10.²³ joule caused an earthquake of 10 points or more on the Richter Scale weeks or months after the event.

These mega earthquakes may have contributed significantly to tectonic movements, not only through earthquakes but also in the formation of tsunamis with waves reaching hundreds of meters. But the findings don’t stop. The team also found deposits from a thin layer of fern spores, which they predict is the first evidence of nature’s remodeling after the impact.

Researchers are excited about the findings and will continue to work to shed more light on Chicxulub’s significance in changes taking place on Earth and how life reshaped itself after the event.