Asteroid strike 'triggered 250-metre mega-tsunami on Mars'

A mega-tsunami connected Mars could person been triggered by an asteroid onslaught akin to the devastating stroke that wiped retired the dinosaurs 66 cardinal years ago.

The elephantine wave, measuring up to 250 metres successful height, was created astir 3.4 cardinal years agone by the interaction of an asteroid oregon comet successful a shallow water successful the bluish lowlands of the reddish planet, scientists believe.

Until now, the determination of the crater near by the asteroid was unclear.

Researchers astatine the Planetary Science Institute successful Tucson, Arizona, analysed maps of Mars' surface, created from photographs of erstwhile missions to the planet.

They identified a crater - named Pohl - measuring 110km successful diameter, which they judge was caused by the asteroid.

It is located successful an country that erstwhile studies indicated was submerged by water h2o astir 120 metres beneath oversea level.

Scientists judge it was formed 3.4 cardinal years agone based connected its presumption supra and beneath rocks antecedently dated to this clip period.

They carried retired simulations of asteroid and comet collisions to found what benignant of interaction could person created Pohl and whether it could person caused a mega-tsunami.

A simulation that formed a crater with akin dimensions to Pohl was triggered by a 9km asteroid encountering beardown crushed resistance, releasing 13 cardinal megatons of TNT energy.

Another 3km asteroid, encountering anemic crushed resistance, released 0.5 megatons of TNT energy.

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One megaton of TNT vigor has the equivalent unit of 1 cardinal tons.

The magnitude of vigor released by the astir almighty megaton ever tested was astir 57 megatons of TNT energy.

In some simulations, craters measuring 110km successful diameter generated mega-tsunamis reaching arsenic acold arsenic 1,500km from the centre of the interaction site.

Analysis of the elephantine question unleashed by the 3km asteroid interaction suggested the tsunami could person measured 250 metres connected land.

The interaction of Pohl has been likened to that of the Chicuxlub crater buried nether the Yucatan Peninsula successful Mexico, aft which the dinosaurs became extinct.

Writing successful the Scientific Reports journal, the researchers said of their breakthrough: "The site's determination on a highland-facing lobe aligned to erosional grooves supports a mega-tsunami origin."

They added: "Our findings let that rocks and ungraded salts astatine the landing tract are of marine origin, inviting the technological reconsideration of accusation gathered from the archetypal in-situ measurements connected Mars."