Chicxulub IODP-ICDP deep drilling: from cratering to mass extinction Vrije Universiteit Brussel
About 66 million years ago, a 10 km asteroid or comet fragment collided at high velocity with Earth. The energy generated was equivalent to 5 billion Hiroshima bombs, and a huge crater formed within the crust of what is now Yucatan. The aftermath of this impact likely led to the dinosaur demise and the mass extinction of 60% of the fauna and flora on Earth. The resulting Chicxulub crater is unique because of its size (200 km), preservation, ...