How did the Chicxulub crater affect the history of the Yucatan?

The Chicxulub crater at the northwestern point of the Yucatán Peninsula was formed by the impact of an asteroid 66 million years ago. The cloud of dust and carbon gases that resulted is thought by some scientists to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Why are cenotes so important to the Yucatán?

Historical Significance for the Ancient Maya In a region devoid of rivers or lakes, such as the Yucatan, cenotes provided year-round access to fresh water. Their sheer number and ability to sustain large human settlements formed the foundation on which a sophisticated society could be built.

How did meteor create cenotes?

Rain water absorbs a gas (carbon dioxide) from the air and forms a weak acid. As this trickles down through tiny cracks in the limestone, the weak acid dissolves a mineral in the limestone called calcite. Over time the limestone is dissolved and a cenote is formed.

What is a cenote and how were they used to study the impact crater?

In addition, the subsurface rim of the crater has affected groundwater flow. That enhanced groundwater flow has dissolved the limestone, producing a series of sinkholes that are filled with water. Locally those sinkholes are called cenotes. Thus, a ring of cenotes outlines the crater.

Why is the Chicxulub impact important?

The impact of an asteroid 66.0 million years ago on what is now the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico caused the extinction of 75\% of life on Earth, including non-avian dinosaurs, marine reptiles like mosasaurs and plesiosaurs, and ammonites.

What is the significance of the Chicxulub impact crater?

The discovery of the Chicxulub crater dramatically enhanced the community’s ability to evaluate the environmental effects of an impact at the K-T boundary, because both the geographic location of an impact site and the target rocks involved in an impact can affect the environmental outcome.

Why are cenotes important to the Maya?

A cenote is said to be quite significant to the Mayan people. Whilst cenotes were their main water source, they were also considered it to be the entrance to the Xibalba, translated to the underworld, and a place where the Mayan gods would visit, especially Chaac, the Mayan god of rain, lightning, and thunder.

Is Chicxulub crater visible?

The Chicxulub crater is not visible at the Earth’s surface like the famous Meteor Crater of Arizona. There are, however, two surface expressions of the crater. Radar measurements captured from one of NASA’s space shuttles detected a subtle depression in the sediments that bury the crater.

How are cenotes connected?

although it doesn’t seem like it, cenotes are connected by underground tunnels making the water move in a continuous flow, which is very important for keeping animals and plants alive in this aquatic world below our feet. There are three different types of cenotes: open, Part-Open and underground.