Geologists Return from Expedition to Chicxulub Impact Crater
Oct 25, 2017 by Enrico de Lazaro
The Chicxulub crater is the only well-preserved peak-ring crater on Earth and linked to the Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction, an event 65 million years ago that wiped out the dinosaurs as well as nearly 50% of all the world’s species. For the first time, geologists have drilled into the peak ring of this crater in the International Ocean Discovery Program and International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (IODP-ICDP) Expedition 364.
The Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction occurred at the same time that a 10-km-diameter asteroid, dubbed Chicxulub, hit our planet in what is now the Yucatán Peninsula. The collision would have triggered earthquakes, tsunamis, and even volcanic eruptions.
The impact, its catastrophic effects, and its aftermath have engrossed researchers and the public alike since it was first discovered.
http://www.sci-news.com/geology/expedition-chicxulub-impact-crater-05360.html
