When an Asteroid Hits the Ocean

If an asteroid slammed into the ocean, the explosion wouldn’t be the deadliest part.

The water would be. On impact, billions of tons of seawater

would be blasted upward instantly. Near the impact zone, waves could reach

over one kilometer high. Entire coastlines would be erased within minutes.

But the real danger wouldn’t stay local. The displaced water would spread outward, forming massive

tsunamis racing across oceans at the speed of a jet aircraft. Within hours,

waves would hit coastlines across the planet. Ports, cities,

and power plants near the sea would be destroyed. Unlike earthquakes, this wouldn’t be