To the Point
New Dig May Solve What Killed the Dinosaurs
Later this month, a new drilling rig will be set up in the Gulf of Mexico, but it won't be probing for oil. It'll be looking to understand one of the great events that have affected life on this planet.
By Warren Olney • • 9m ListenLater this month, a new drilling rig will be set up in the Gulf of Mexico, but it won't be probing for oil. It'll be looking to understand one of the great events that have affected life on this planet.
The Chicxulub Crater was created when a very large asteroid hit the Earth some 66 million years ago. It's now underwater in the Gulf of Mexico. Later this month, researchers from the US and the United Kingdom will be taking core samples of rock beneath the surface, hoping to learn more about the event that's thought to have killed off the dinosaurs. University of Texas geophysicist Sean Gulick is co-chief scientist for the project.
