On one fateful day some 66 million years ago the dinosaurs - along with some 75% of all plant and animal species on Earth were doomed to extinction. The large asteroid that struct earth impacted just off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
One may not see any dino bones here, but still, it is a place that every dinosaur enthusiast should visit. If one would like to learn about the dinosaurs, then one can learn a lot more about walking with dinosaurs in several parks around the USA.
The Asteroid And Discovery of The Chicxulub Crater
The event ended the Cretaceous Period (the last of three periods of the dinosaurs) and began the Paleogene Period. The transition is marked by the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary (commonly termed the "K-Pg boundary).
- Asteroid: The Asteroid is Believed to Have Measured 10 Kilometers or 6.2 Miles in Diameter
The impact is believed to have resulted in worldwide climate disruption and rendered the world (directly and indirectly) unlivable for most species on earth.
- Fun Fact: Birds Are Descendants of Dinosaurs So Technically They Didn't Go Extinct
The crater of this massive impact was around 93 miles or 150 kilometers in diameter as well as some 20 kilometers or 12 miles deep. That is well into the continental crust of the region (averaging 10-20 kilometers thick). So large is it that after 66 million years it is still visible.
- Size: The Crater is 93 Miles or 150 Kilometers In Diameter
- Size Of Impact: It Is The Second Largest Known Impact Structure after Vredefort in South Africa (Over 2 Billion Years Old)
Today it is the only impact crater whose peak ring is still intact and is directly accessible for research.
It was discovered in the 1970s by geophysicists during petroleum exploration projects. The belief that this was the mysterious asteroid was confirmed in 2016. That is when a scientific drilling project drilled deep into the crater's peak ring. Another study in 2020 suggested that the Chicxulub crater impacted by the asteroid traveling 45-60° to horizontal from the northeast.
Today the meteorite crater itself is extremely well hidden and buried under a rather thick 1,000 meter or 3,000 foot later of soft limestone. There is not much to see (as evidenced that it took so long to find).
The Cenotes of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula
One of the stunning and picturesque attractions of the Yucatan Peninsula is the abundance of cenotes in the region. Cenotes are natural pits or sinkholes that form from the collapse of limestone bedrock and then expose groundwater.
- Pronunciation: "Cenotes" Is Pronounced "say-no-tays" From The Mayan Word "ts’ono’ot"
They were often used by the ancient Maya as a water supply and even sometimes for sacrificial offerings. While similar sinkholes are found around the world, the cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula are particularly known.
But the crazy thing is that they owe their existence to the dino-killing asteroid. This region of the peninsula is part of the Chicxulub crater. The sinkholes are clustered around the crater's trough. The higher density and circular alignment of the cenotes correspond to the rim of the Chicxulub crater.
- Cenotes: Clustered Around The Chicxulub Crater's Trough
- Impact: The Rock Of The Cenotes Was Forced To The Surface From The Impact
The suggestion is that this was a prehistoric oceanic basin depression left behind after the impact.
These cenotes only exist because the rock was forced to the surface from deep underground during the impact. The BBC states that over thousands of years the dripping water has cut through the limestone at these faultlines and carved out the sinkholes.
So the next time one goes swimming in the cenotes in Mexico, take a moment to marvel that one is swimming in the rim of the impact creator that killed off the dinosaurs. They are the smoking guns of one of the most destructive events in earth's history, a murder mystery that has only just been solved.
Museum of Science of the Chicxulub Crater
Here one can also visit a museum dedicated to the Chicxulub Crater - the Museum of Science of the Chicxulub Crater (the website is only in Spanish and it appears the museum itself may only be in Spanish). The museum is located a short drive from the Yucatan capital of Merida.
It is a very new museum and only opened in September 2018. Its aim is to take visitors back to the moment 66 million years when life on earth was changed forever. It hopes to begin the process of bringing tourists to explore the peninsula's prehistoric and cataclysmic past.
Note: The Museum Seems To Be Only In Spanish
One can incorporate deep geologically earth history with one's much more recent Mayan history of places like Chichen Itza.
There is a growing awareness to raise awareness of the crater and Mexico has been applied for the crater to be recognized by UNESCO.