Scientists believe they have discovered where asteroid which wiped ...
A "sungrazed" comet may be responsible for the extinction event around 66 million years ago.
news.sky.comDirect answer: The asteroid that caused the dinosaurs’ extinction struck the Yucatán Peninsula, creating the Chicxulub crater, and is believed to have caused global mass extinction around 66 million years ago. The most widely supported location of the impact is beneath the Gulf of Mexico near the Yucatán region, with the crater now partially buried under seafloor sediments.[9][10]
Key context:
- Chicxulub crater: about 180 km (110 miles) wide, located on the Yucatán Peninsula, with the impact dated to roughly 66 million years ago.[6][10]
- Global effects: the impact released vast amounts of energy, triggering wildfires, tsunamis, injected aerosols, and climatic upheaval contributing to the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous.[4][10]
- Alternate site discussions: some studies highlight evidence from North Dakota (Tanis site) for aftermath conditions shortly after the impact, but the primary, globally accepted hitting point remains Chicxulub in the Gulf of Mexico region.[1][4]
Illustrative note:
- If you’re curious about what the immediate aftermath looked like in terrestrial sites, Tanis in North Dakota has been discussed as a snapshot of post-impact conditions, though it does not replace the Chicxulub crater’s role as the main impact site in the extinction event.[1]
Would you like a brief timeline of the key evidence (iridium layer, shocked quartz, Chicxulub crater dating) and a map-style description of the location? I can also pull a concise, cited summary from current science outlets.