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Chicxulub collision put Earth’s crust in hot water for over a million years

Asteroid crater on the Yucatán Peninsula reveals surprising new geologic details

Chicxulub impact illustration

About 66 million years ago, an asteroid slammed into Earth at what is now Chicxulub, on Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula (illustrated). In addition to triggering a mass extinction, the impact sent superheated water cycling deep into the crust.

Science Photo Library/Alamy Stock Photo

By Carolyn Gramling

- More than 2 years ago

The asteroid that slammed into Earth 66 million years ago left behind more than a legacy of mass destruction.