Abstracts » Zoology and wildlife conservation

New links between the Chicxulub impact structure and the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary

Article Abstract:

The identification of the Chicxulub structure as the meteoric impact crater at the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary received new support from the examination of structure's melt rocks. These rocks resembled K/T boundary material from elsewhere and revealed the large amounts of iridium known to be characteristic of the boundary layer. Therefore, it is increasingly likely that this structure in Mexico's northern Yucatan was the location of a devastating meteoric impact about 65 million years ago.

Cover Story, Identification and classification, Yucatan, Mexico

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Size and morphology of the Chicxulub impact crater

Article Abstract:

Offshore seismic data suggests that the Chicxulub impact crater in Mexico has a similar multi-ring basin morphology to large impact structures located on Venus and other planets. The crater has a transient cavity diameter of around 100 km, with this measurement facilitating the calculation of the energy of the impact. The crater could have been formed by a comet with a diameter of between 10 km and 14 km, or by an asteroid with a diameter of around 12 km.

Mexico

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A meteorite from the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary

Article Abstract:

Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary sediments are known to contain the record of a major asteroid or comet impact event, possibly at the site of the Chicxulub crater. A fossil meteorite taken from sediment from the Cretaceous/Tertiary bound in the North Pacific Ocean may be part of the projectile responsible for the crater. It is likely that it originated from a metal and sulphide-rich carbonacous chondrite.

Meteorites

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