So-called 'megaripples' have been found in Louisiana and are believed to have been caused by the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs.
The new discovery by scientists could lead to a huge increase in knowledge about the impact by the Chicxulub asteroid that unleashed a long winter and change the course of Earth's history.
The megaripples, around 59 foot-tall (19 metres), were found under the Iatt Lake in central Louisiana, an area that would have been underwater 66 million years ago when the asteroid hit.
The ripples were discovered after Devon Energy took a 3D seismic survey of Iatt Lake. These were then used to build up 3-D maps showing the ripples, that were the result of the huge energy pulse and tsunami that resulted from the impact.
Lead researcher, Gary Kinsland, spoke of the data when it was first brought to his attention by fellow researcher Kaare Egedahl. He said:
"Kaare brought it to me, and he said, 'What's this?' because it's so different than anything you would expect to see in deposits laid down by the sea or by rivers. I looked at it, and I went 'OMG.'"
He added:
"I immediately saw the ripples, and I immediately knew the direction the water would have had to have been traveling [to create them]. And I knew that if you go backwards from that, you run right in Chicxulub."
It is believed that the megaripples were preserved for 66 million years because they were deep enough underwater not to be affected by storms that persist in the area. They were then buried by shale and other debris that protected them from other environmental effects. The fact that the megaripples are asymmetrical, indicates strongly that they were all caused by one particular super powerful event. As the researchers know the approximate time the megaripples were created and preserved, they have come to the conclusion that the asteroid was the culprit.
Researchers from across the world will now be establishing what the new findings mean for their overall knowledge of the cataclysmic event.
[h/t: Space.com]
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