Science & Faith
Asteroid Impact In North Sea Confirmed By Researchers
From ScienceDaily Archaeology · October 20, 2026
A research team led by Dr. Uisdean Nicholson of Heriot-Watt University has provided evidence that the Silverpit Crater, located 700 meters beneath the North Sea, was formed by an asteroid or comet impact. The findings, published in Nature Communications, resolve a decades-long debate regarding whether the structure was caused by geological processes like salt movement or volcanic activity.
Researchers utilized advanced seismic imaging and microscopic examination of rock samples to reach this conclusion. Specifically, they identified "shocked" quartz and feldspar crystals in an oil well near the crater, which Dr. Nicholson stated can only be created by extreme shock pressures.
Computer simulations conducted by the team suggest a 160-meter-wide asteroid struck the seabed at a shallow angle. According to the researchers, this collision likely produced a 1.5-kilometer-high curtain of debris and triggered a tsunami exceeding 100 meters in height.
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