August 17, 2022

UA researcher follows trail of a possible second dinosaur-killing asteroid

A new study looks for clues in an underwater impact crater near Africa.

Impact Crater The asteroid impact that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs may not have been the only one.
Pixabay

Scientists are studying a newly found asteroid impact crater off the coast of West Africa. University of Arizona researcher Veronica Bray is one of the authors of a journal article detailing the discovery.

The impact is thought to be the same age as the Chicxulub crash suspected of killing the dinosaurs and other creatures 66 million years ago.

“So, we think it is of similar age but we really need to get down and drill it so we can use other scientific methods to date this crater," Bray explained.

The Chicxulub impact produced the biggest known crater on Earth, but Bray notes there may be more underwater impact craters yet to be discovered.

The article is published in the current issue of Science Advances.

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