Why in News
Researchers on October 30 revealed the potent role that dust from pulverised rock ejected into the atmosphere from the impact site may have played in driving extinctions, choking the atmosphere and blocking photosynthesis.
Yucatan Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula is a peninsula in southeastern Mexico.
It is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the east and south.
The peninsula is home to a variety of ecosystems, including tropical rainforests, mangrove forests, and coastal lagoons.
The Yucatán Peninsula is a popular tourist destination, known for its beautiful beaches, ancient Mayan ruins, and cenotes (natural swimming holes).
Chicxulub crater
The Chicxulub crater (pronounced "cheek-shoo-loob") is a large impact crater buried underneath the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.
Its center is offshore, but the crater is named after the onshore community of Chicxulub Pueblo.
It was formed slightly over 66 million years ago when a large asteroid, about ten kilometers (six miles) in diameter, struck Earth.
The Chicxulub crater is the second largest confirmed impact structure on Earth.
The only one whose peak ring is intact and directly accessible for scientific research.
It is estimated to be 180 kilometers (110 miles) in diameter and 20 kilometers (12 miles) in depth.
The impact of the asteroid that created the Chicxulub crater is believed to have caused the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.
Which wiped out the dinosaurs and many other species of plants and animals.
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