Deep down the bottom of the sea, 80 miles off the coast of Yorkshire, there is a crater that has divided scientists as they wonder if it was created by the crash of an asteroid or was it simply the result of the geological movements of the salt.

Today, decades of scientific dispute can be settled. The crater Silverpit, 700 meters below the bottom of the sea and specifically, under the North Sea, Probably created by direct striking an asteroid or comet about the size of York Minster, who fell with impetus to the earth more than 43 million years ago.

The asteroid, 160 meters wide, fell into the sea causing a 100 -meter tsunami, scientists say. It was probably a very bad day for all early mammals in the area – but not as bad as the consequences of the asteroid collision that disappeared the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.

The Silverpit crater in no way has the scale of the Chicxulub crater in Mexico, which was created when an asteroid of about 6 to 9 miles hit the Earth, resulting in a massive disappearance of 75% of herbal and animal species. However, Silverpit still attracts the interest of experts.

Uisdean Nicholson, a sedimentologist from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, who led the research team, said their new seismic depiction gave them an unprecedented image of the crater.

The acquisition of evidence was “definitely a fascinating moment,” he said, describing the approach to research as if they were looking for a “needle in the haystack”.

The 2 -mile width crater, surrounded by a 12 -mile circular circular zone, was discovered in 2002 by petroleum geoplators.

Those who found it believed that it was indeed a superstar impact crater, indicating features often associated with them, such as a central peak, circular shape and concentric faults.

It was initially estimated that it was over 60 million years old and became a headline. “The crater could be caused by an asteroid impact,” wrote a Guardian report from that time. But some scientists were not convinced and argue that his story is not so interesting because it was probably caused by the movement of salty rocks in depth.

“I feel like I’m spoiling the party,” said Geologist John Underhill, of the University of Edinburgh. “It’s a less glamorous explanation, but that’s what scientific data says.”

In 2009, a debate was held in the geological company that remembers Nicholson. “I was a student for a doctorate at that time and it was a well -known discussion, at least in geological circles. They had the great discussion and then voted. It was decided by an overwhelming majority that it was not a source affecting the situation. Most people have been in favor of the common explanation and I think this reflects a tendency to reject the most striking explanation. “

Funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, the team led by Nicholson used an earthquake, a microscopic analysis of rock cuttings and numerical models to provide what they say is the strongest proof that the Silverpit crater is one of the landowners.

Asteroid conflicts are fortunately rare and there is no recorded in human history. The craters created by the conflicts are also rare because “the tectonic plates and erosion destroy almost all traces of most of these events,” Nicholson said. “About 200 confirmed impact craters exist ashore and only 33 have been detected under the ocean.”

Silverpit is extremely preserved and important, he said. “We can use these findings to understand how asteroid impacts have shaped our planet throughout the story, as well as predict what could happen in the event of an asteroid conflict in the future.”