The newly-discovered Nadir Cater in West Africa may hold proof that two asteroids caused the end of the Cretaceous Period.
— a method that sends acoustic waves down a water column to map the seafloor — researchers may have identified another impact creator just over five miles wide.
Buried under about 980-1300 feet of Paleogene Period sediment, the newly-found Nadir Crater dates line up with that of the Chicxulub Crater, according to Uisdean Nicholson of Heriot-Watt University. regional map showing the location of the Nadir Crater on the Guinea Plateau, offshore West Africa. Other important seabed features are also highlighted, including the Nadir Seamount after which the crater is named. : regional seismic cross sections across the Guinea Plateau, showing the age of the sedimentary units across the plateau and the location of the Nadir Crater and Nadir Seamount.
Researchers suggest that the craters at Nadir and Chicxulub could've been caused by the same asteroid that broke apart in Earth’s atmosphere. If actually caused by an asteroid strike, it's also possible that the Nadir Crater may have come from a second asteroid in an asteroid cluster.of an impact crater such as an elevated rim, a central uplift area and badly deformed rock beneath the crater.