Dinosaur-killing impact crater might have been teeming with life

THE THING NOBODY EXPLAINED PROPERLY IS IT IS BASICALLY LIKE LEAVING A SOUP POT ON THE STOVE ON LOW FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS, BECAUSE THAT GIANT ASTEROID THAT WIPED OUT THE DINOSAURS CRUSHED ROCK THIRTY-FIVE KILOMETERS DOWN AND MELTED IT, AND SEAWATER GOT IN MAKING A MASSIVE HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEM UNDER THE YUCATÁN PENINSULA, AND SCIENTISTS USED TO THINK IT ONLY LASTED TWO MILLION YEARS, BUT ANNEMARIE PICKERSGILL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW CHECKED THE FELDSPAR SAMPLES AND SAYS IT ACTUALLY STAYED HOT AT LEAST FOUR TIMES LONGER THAN THAT, WHICH GAVE AN EXTENDED WINDOW FOR MICROBES TO DEVELOP AND COLONIZE THE CRATER, THOUGH HER STUDY ONLY PROVES THE CONDITIONS WERE HABITABLE AND DOES NOT ACTUALLY PROVE LIFE WAS DEFINITELY IN THERE. ANYWAY THAT IS ALL I KNOW, GENUINELY.

SO THE PART THAT GOT ME IS THIS EVERYBODY ASSUMES THE DINOSAUR ASTEROID CRATER WAS JUST COMPLETELY DEAD BUT IT ACTUALLY FORMED A MASSIVE HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEM IN THE FREEZING DEPTHS AND THE THING IS SCIENTISTS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT IT ONLY LASTED TWO MILLION YEARS BUT ANNEMARIE PICKERSGILL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW DRILLED A WHOLE KILOMETER DOWN AND MEASURED POTASSIUM DECAY IN FELDSPAR ROCKS WHICH PROVED THE HOT WATER WAS GUSHING UNDER THE YUCATÁN PENINSULA FOR AT LEAST FOUR TIMES LONGER THAN THAT AND THAT IS WILD BECAUSE IT GAVE AN EXTENDED WINDOW FOR PREBIOTIC CHEMICAL REACTIONS TO DEVELOP AND SPREAD THOUGH OUT OF SEVENTY KNOWN UNDERWATER IMPACT CRATERS ONLY EIGHT HAVE EVIDENCE OF MICROBES SO THE STUDY STILL CANNOT PROVE LIFE WAS ACTUALLY LIVING IN THERE. OK I HAVE TO SIT DOWN AFTER THAT ONE.

Analysis of the Chicxulub impact crater shows its hydrothermal system remained habitable for over five million years, far longer than previously estimated.

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