Chicxulub impact crater may have supported life after asteroid collision

<p>About 66 million years ago, the Chicxulub asteroid struck Earth, causing tsunamis and releasing hot debris that led to the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs and many other species. However, the impact also created conditions that may have supported life. The asteroid hit what is now the partially submerged Yucatan Peninsula, and the impact generated enough heat to create a hydrothermal system at the bottom of the ocean that persisted for 8 million years.</p><p>In 2016, researchers drilled for samples in the impact zone and studied the types of rock formed as a result of the asteroid strike, providing insights into the immediate and long-term aftermath of this event.</p><p>The collision caused deformation deep beneath the surface, reaching depths of 35 km (almost 22 miles) and melting a significant amount of rock. Exposure to seawater made this rock porous, and as hot water seeped into the pores, a hydrothermal system formed. The influx of hot water into an isolated region of the ocean could have attracted microorganisms and potentially other life forms that were struggling to survive.</p>