Scientists say asteroid that killed dinosaurs also caused a tsunami miles high

Technology

08:59 GMT 07/21/2021Get a short url

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Countless ancient species have vanished from the surface of our planet after an asteroid struck it, causing massive climate disruption. But before that, many creatures were hit by a huge tsunami wave, destroying the American coast today.

Researchers have found giant ripples underground in central Louisiana, suggesting that an asteroid that caused the dinosaurs to go extinct also triggered a massive tsunami. According to recent discoveries, space rock, which would have struck Earth near the Yucatan Peninsula 66 million years ago, created a wave that could have reached a kilometer high.

Scientists analyzed a layer about 1,500 meters (just under a mile) below the ground and found well-preserved fossilized ripples spaced half a mile apart. According to University of Louisiana geophysicist Gary Kinsland, the orientation of the mega-ripples aligns with Chicxulub’s impact theory.

“The water was so deep that once the tsunami was over, the regular storm surges could no longer disturb what was there,” he noted.