The Gulf of Mexico's Catastrophic Origin

The Gulf of Mexico exists because of the meteor that killed the dinosaurs. Sixty six million

years ago, a six mile wide asteroid slammed into what is now the Yucatan Peninsula

at 45,000 miles per hour. The impact created the Chicxulub crater, 93 miles wide and

12 miles deep. This wasn't just any impact. It reshaped the entire region's

geology, forming the basin that would become the Gulf of Mexico. The explosion vaporized

rock, triggered mega tsunamis, and literally carved out the seafloor we see today.

So every time you look at a map of the Gulf, you're seeing the scar from Earth's

worst day.