After a controversy that lasted for two decades, the scientists finally confirmed that the mysterious “Silver Beit” nozzle at the bottom of the North Sea resulted in the collision of a huge asteroid colliding more than 40 million years ago.
This nozzle, according to the “Space” website, discovered in 2002, was the subject of a sharp debate among geologists about its origins.
A research team led by Dr. Osin Nicholson from the Scottish University of Heriot-Saws managed to solve the mystery using advanced techniques that included 3D seismic imaging and analyzing old drilling samples of the eighties of the last century.
The results showed that the circular structure, with a width of 1.8 miles and a depth of 700 meters under the sea floor, carries all the distinctive signs of the cosmic collision, including a high central summit, a circular trench, broken rocks and secondary nozzles caused by falling debris.
The most prominent evidence came from the microscopic analysis of the rock samples, where scientists discovered rare metal granules carrying microscopic scars that are formed only under the enormous pressures of cosmic collisions.
The computer simulation showed that the asteroid was about 160 meters wide and its speed is more than 15 km per second, which caused a huge environmental disaster that included a column of rocks and water that rose 1.5 km causing a tsunami exceeding 100 meters.
This discovery is an important confirmation of the origin of the nozzle and is added to the rare collision nozzle record on Earth, which does not exceed 250 confirmed nozzles globally.
Scientists affirm that the exceptional memorization of the “Silver Beit” nozzle will allow a better study of the effects of cosmic collisions on the ground, and helps in planning to face any possible scenario of similar future collisions.
