Meteorite which wiped out the dinosaurs also created record-breaking hydrothermal system
Published: 2 July 2026
The meteorite which caused the extinction of the dinosaurs also created an underground environment suited to supporting new life, and new research suggests it lasted for millions of years longer than previously suspected. The researchers came to their conclusions by pairing sophisticated new analysis of samples taken from the Chicxulub crater in Mexico with computer modelling of the geological effects of the meteorite impact which formed the crater 66 million years ago.