The buried structure which measures at least 180 km 112 miles across is thought to be the scar remaining from the impact 66 million years ago of an asteroid or comet measuring perhaps 10 km. Computer generated image of chicxulub crater chicxulub crater on the northern coast of the yucatán peninsula in mexico in a computer generated image synthesized from gravity and magnetic field data. The chicxulub crater named.
Buried beneath thousands of feet of limestone in the yucatán peninsula are the remains of an impact so great that it wiped out over half of the earth s species. The chicxulub crater off the coast of mexico s yucatán peninsula has preserved the details of what led to the extinction of most life on earth millions of years ago and it is the only crater. Recently robert depalma found a fossil bed that ends any speculation about this event.
Many years later antonio camargo and glen penfield provided evidence that there was a large crater in the yucatan peninsula. According to the alvarez hypothesis that impact contributed to the demise of many forms of life including dinosaurs. The crater measures between 180 and 240 kilometres across indicating an impactor of colossal size the biggest impact confirmed on earth.
The chicxulub crater on the yucatan peninsula is believed to be the most likely site of the asteroid impact responsible for the demise of the dinosaurs. It is a huge buried impact crater that is called chicxulub a maya word that roughly translates as tail of the devil the crater now buried beneath kilometer thick sediment has been imaged using new geophysical techniques. Researchers finally located the impact site on mexico s yucatán peninsula.
It was formed when a large asteroid or comet about 11 to 81 kilometers 6 8 to 50 3 miles in diameter known as the chicxulub impactor struck the earth. Its center is located offshore near the town of chicxulub after which the crater is named. Tʃʼikʃuluɓ is an impact crater buried underneath the yucatán peninsula in mexico.
The chicxulub crater ˈ tʃ iː k ʃ ʊ l uː b.
