Scientists have confirmed that a vast underwater structure in the North Sea was created by an asteroid that struck the seabed millions of years ago. The finding resolves a decades-long scientific debate about the origin of the formation located off the coast of Yorkshire in northern England. The impact formed what is now known as the Silverpit Crater and triggered a tsunami with waves estimated to have exceeded 100 metres in height.
The research was led by Dr Uisdean Nicholson of Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and supported by Professor Gareth Collins of Imperial College London. Using advanced 3D seismic imaging and geological sampling, the team identified microscopic 'shocked' minerals that can only form under the extreme pressures produced by an asteroid impact. The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.
