Scientists confirm North Sea crater was caused by asteroid impact
Scientists have finally confirmed that the Silverpit Crater under the North Sea was formed by an asteroid impact nearly 50 million years ago—not by volcanoes or shifting salt.
This discovery settles a debate that's been going on for years.
Research team used advanced 3D imaging to study the crater
A research team led by Uisdean Nicholson used advanced 3D imaging and samples from oil wells to study the crater, which sits 700 meters below the seabed.
They found minerals like shocked quartz—only created in super high-speed impacts—proving an asteroid was behind it.
A single event unleashed tremendous power
Their models show a 160-meter-wide asteroid slammed in from the west at a shallow angle, blasting up a 1.5-kilometer-high plume of rock and water and triggering a tsunami over 100 meters high.
It's wild to imagine how much power that single event unleashed.
Silverpit is 1 of about 30 known marine impact craters
Silverpit is one of just about 30 known marine impact craters on Earth.
Studying it helps scientists understand how asteroids shape our planet—and could make us better at predicting future space rock collisions.