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192:, where the sea floor is approximately 4–5 kilometres (2.5–3.1 mi) deep. The asteroid was estimated to be about 1 to 4 km (0.6 to 2.5 mi) in diameter. No crater associated with the impact has been discovered. The impact likely evaporated 150 km (36 cu mi) of water, generating large
304:
The size of a possible tsunami has been calculated. An asteroid that was four km (two mi) in diameter falling onto the five km (three mi) deep ocean would have blasted the water off the ocean floor for at least 60 km (37 mi), and made a wave over 200 m (660 ft)
228:
were jumbled and deposited again chaotically. Also mixed in were melted and fragmented meteorite matter. The area near the
Freeden Seamounts over 20,000 km (7,700 sq mi) has a meteorite material surface density of 10–60 kg/m (2.0–12.3 lb/sq ft). Of this, 87% is melted
300:
and chaotic deposits of mixed terrestrial and ocean-derived sediment. Boulders as big as buses are mixed with marine fossils and mud. The most well-characterised tsunami deposits are near the coast of Chile. Off the coast of
Antarctica there are mudslides into the deep ocean from this age.
248:, is estimated to have been between one and four km (0.6 and 2.5 mi) in diameter and traveling with a speed of 20 km/s (45,000 mph). The possible size of the asteroid was calculated by the amount of iridium found in the disturbed sediments. Assuming that there were 187
220:. Sediment at the bottom of the five km (3 mi) deep ocean in the area had an iridium enrichment, a strong sign of extraterrestrial contamination. Possible debris from the asteroid is spread over an area of 500 km (190 sq mi). Sediments from the
252:
of iridium in the asteroid, the known distribution of the metal leads to estimates that the body was over one km (0.6 mi) in size. Based on a diameter of one km, it is estimated it would have left a crater about 35 km (22 mi) across.
236:. Above this is layer SU III consisting of layered sand, consistent with having been deposited from turbulently flowing water. Above this is SU II layer with meteorite fragments and graded silt and clay that plausibly settled out of still but dirty water.
317:
and
Central America, and the New Zealand east coast would have been washed with 60 m (200 ft) high waves. If the impact object was one km (0.6 mi) in diameter, the wave heights would have been one-fifth as great.
395:(3 September 2012). "The Eltanin asteroid impact: possible South Pacific palaeomegatsunami footprint and potential implications for the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition".
487:
952:
1008:
115:
1038:
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and 13% only fragmented. This area is the region of the Earth's surface with the highest known density of meteorite material coverage.
32:
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1003:
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formation in the
Northern Hemisphere. The impact would have put a large amount of water and salt into the atmosphere, disrupted
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232:
The disturbed sediment had three layers. The lowermost layer SU IV is a chaotic mixture of crumbled sediments in the form of a
1630:
518:
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998:
453:"The late Pliocene impact of the Eltanin asteroid into the Southern Ocean – Documentation and environmental consequences"
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1033:
993:
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725:
912:
Abstracts of Papers
Presented to "New Developments Regarding the KT Event and Other Catastrophes in Earth History
657:"Geological record and reconstruction of the late Pliocene impact of the Eltanin asteroid in the Southern Ocean"
655:
Gersonde, R.; F. T. Kyte; U. Bleil; B. Diekmann; J. A. Flores; K. Gohl; G. Grahl; R. Hagen; et al. (1997).
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On the shorelines of the
Pacific Ocean there are erosional features that are indicative of a very large
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330:, the Earth was cooling. The impact and disruption to the weather could have triggered the start of
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boundary approximately 2.51 ± 0.07  million years ago. The impact occurred at the north edge of the
1448:
1199:
1069:
1365:
1234:
1164:
910:
Peng, H. (February 9–12, 1994). "An
Extraterrestrial Event at the Tertiary-Quaternary Boundary".
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Kyte, Frank T.; Chikako Omura; Christopher Snead; Kevin D. McKeegan; Rainer
Gersonde (2010).
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726:"SEDIMENTATION PATTERNS OF METEORITIC EJECTA IN ELTANIN IMPACT DEPOSITS AT SITE PS58/281"
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214:, after which the site and impactor are named. Later studies were done by the vessel
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Gersonde, R.; F. T. Kyte; T. Frederichs; U. Bleil; H. W. Schenke; G. Kuhn (2005).
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297:
545:"Constraints on interpretation of the Eltanin impact from numerical simulations"
362:– a large impact crater which may be just a few million years older than Eltanin
256:
The composition of suspected asteroid remnants has been classified as low metal
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Gersonde, Rainer; Frank T. Kyte; T. Frederichs; U. Bleil; Gerhard Kuhn (2003).
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under half a millimeter in diameter. Some of these are glass, and others have
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756:"New Data on the Late Pliocene Eltanin Impact into the Deep Southern Ocean"
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373: – Miocene and Pliocene sedimentary formation in south-central Chile
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96:
391:
Goff, James; Catherine Chagué-Goff; Michael Archer; Dale
Dominey-Howes;
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1295:
896:"Reports of discovery of the "Eltanin Crater" are contradicted by data"
604:(1981). "High noble metal concentrations in a late Pliocene sediment".
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309:. After ten hours, waves around 35 m (115 ft) would reach
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The possible impact site was first discovered in 1981 as an
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anomaly in sediment cores collected by the research vessel
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863:"Oceanic Impacts and Related Environmental Perturbations"
152:
The possible impact site is located at the edge of the
785:"Trace Elements in Refactory Eltanin Impact Spherules"
724:
Kyte, Frank T.; Rainer
Gersonde; Gerhard Kuhn (2005).
16:
Prehistoric asteroid impact in southeast Pacific Ocean
1501:
839:University of New South Wales (19 September 2012).
841:"Did a Pacific Ocean meteor trigger the Ice Age?"
260:. The bolide explosion would also have produced
1597:
542:
485:
893:
812:Gary, Stuart; James Goff (26 September 2012).
811:
960:
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733:Lunar Science and Planetary Conference XXXVII
792:41st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
648:
543:Shuvalov, Valery; Gersonde, Rainer (2014).
446:
444:
442:
366:List of possible impact structures on Earth
52:Eltanin site in the southeast Pacific Ocean
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305:high on the southern end of Chile and the
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188:1,500 km (950 mi) southwest of
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486:Ward, Steven N.; Erik Asphaug (2002).
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549:Meteoritics & Planetary Science
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861:Gersonde, Reiner (2 March 2000).
326:At the time of the impact in the
244:The supposed impacting body, the
1611:Possible impact craters on Earth
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371:Megatsunami of Ranquil Formation
38:
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196:waves hundreds of metres high.
85:1–4 km (0.62–2.49 mi)
870:Catastrophic Events Conference
600:Kyte, Frank T.; Zhiming Zhou;
536:
460:Geophysical Research Abstracts
199:
1:
1484:Lunar and Planetary Institute
1316:Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary
515:10.1016/s0967-0645(01)00147-3
397:Journal of Quaternary Science
377:
1631:Geology of the Pacific Ocean
462:. European Geosciences Union
346:, and increased the Earth's
272:. Elements enriched include
7:
1376:Planar deformation features
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172:in the eastern part of the
10:
1647:
1621:Pleistocene impact craters
1606:Hypothetical impact events
1479:Impact Field Studies Group
814:"Earth's ice age asteroid"
501:(6). Elsevier: 1073–1079.
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1616:Pleistocene South America
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962:Impact cratering on Earth
495:Deep-Sea Research Part II
176:that occurred around the
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95:2.51 ± 0.07 Ma, earliest
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26:
21:
1449:William Kenneth Hartmann
1115:Clearwater East and West
1063:Confirmed≥20 km diameter
894:Rainer Gersonde (2003).
488:"Impact tsunami–Eltanin"
1366:Ordovician meteor event
903:Large Meteorite Impacts
763:Large Meteorite Impacts
561:2014M&PS...49.1171S
77:35 km (22 mi)
61:Impact crater/structure
1469:Eugene Merle Shoemaker
1346:Late Heavy Bombardment
918:. Houston, Texas: 88.
161:
1490:Traces of Catastrophe
1474:Earth Impact Database
1422:Ralph Belknap Baldwin
344:surface acidification
151:
168:is thought to be an
924:1994LPICo.825...88P
676:1997Natur.390..357G
618:1981Natur.292..417K
507:2002DSRII..49.1073W
409:2012JQS....27..660G
307:Antarctic Peninsula
296:. These include an
174:South Pacific Ocean
127: /
1386:Shock metamorphism
1291:Alvarez hypothesis
570:10.1111/maps.12326
186:Bellingshausen Sea
162:
154:Bellingshausen Sea
1499:
1498:
1439:Edward C. T. Chao
670:(6658): 357–363.
612:(5822): 417–420.
403:(7). Wiley: 660.
298:erosional surface
250:parts per billion
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131:57.783°S 90.783°W
82:Impactor diameter
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1427:Daniel Barringer
1336:Impact structure
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517:. Archived from
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246:Eltanin asteroid
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1190:Nördlinger Ries
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1578:Solar System
1488:
1459:Graham Ryder
1381:Shatter cone
1371:Philippinite
1220:Saint Martin
1215:Rochechouart
1120:Gosses Bluff
1075:Amelia Creek
978:Impact event
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393:Chris Turney
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69:Hypothetical
1566:Outer space
1255:Tookoonooka
1240:Steen River
1230:Siljan Ring
1160:Manicouagan
1145:Keurusselkä
820:. ABC radio
340:ozone layer
336:ice shelves
200:Description
182:Pleistocene
134: /
109:Coordinates
97:Pleistocene
1600:Categories
1396:Stishovite
1296:Australite
1275:Yarrabubba
1245:Strangways
1205:Presqu'île
1180:Montagnais
1150:Lappajärvi
1100:Charlevoix
1085:Beaverhead
1080:Araguainha
1034:By country
1004:Antarctica
378:References
217:Polarstern
66:Confidence
1542:Astronomy
1361:Moldavite
1356:Meteorite
1341:Impactite
1270:Woodleigh
1265:Vredefort
1225:Shoemaker
1185:Morokweng
1170:Mistastin
1110:Chicxulub
1014:Australia
994:Worldwide
875:8 October
846:8 October
824:8 October
818:Starstuff
797:8 October
768:8 October
739:8 October
692:0028-0836
634:0028-0836
587:140649899
579:1945-5100
528:8 October
466:8 October
433:131415717
425:0267-8179
342:, caused
278:aluminium
226:Paleocene
1415:Research
1260:Tunnunik
1155:Logancha
1125:Haughton
1095:Carswell
1039:Possible
700:11536816
354:See also
311:Tasmania
282:titanium
270:pyroxene
240:Asteroid
178:Pliocene
103:Location
74:Diameter
1590:Science
1530:History
1518:Geology
1504:Portals
1406:Tektite
1401:Suevite
1306:Coesite
1301:Breccia
1250:Sudbury
1200:Popigai
1195:Obolon'
1175:Mjølnir
1140:Karakul
1130:Kamensk
1090:Boltysh
1070:Acraman
920:Bibcode
708:4332536
672:Bibcode
642:4362591
614:Bibcode
557:Bibcode
503:Bibcode
405:Bibcode
332:ice cap
294:tsunami
288:Tsunami
274:calcium
234:breccia
211:Eltanin
206:iridium
194:tsunami
122:90°47′W
119:57°47′S
1284:Topics
1165:Manson
1019:Europe
999:Africa
706:
698:
690:
664:Nature
640:
632:
606:Nature
585:
577:
431:
423:
348:albedo
266:spinel
222:Eocene
1554:Stars
987:Lists
899:(PDF)
866:(PDF)
788:(PDF)
759:(PDF)
729:(PDF)
704:S2CID
660:(PDF)
638:S2CID
583:S2CID
522:(PDF)
491:(PDF)
456:(PDF)
429:S2CID
190:Chile
1135:Kara
877:2012
848:2012
826:2012
799:2012
770:2012
741:2012
696:PMID
688:ISSN
630:ISSN
575:ISSN
530:2012
468:2012
421:ISSN
315:Fiji
280:and
268:and
224:and
164:The
916:825
680:doi
668:390
622:doi
610:292
565:doi
511:doi
413:doi
91:Age
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