# A massive asteroid slammed into the North Sea

> Scientists confirm ancient asteroid impact created 330-foot tsunami in North Sea.
- Title: A massive asteroid slammed into the North Sea · ScienceDaily
- Summary: Scientists confirm ancient asteroid impact created 330-foot tsunami in North Sea. Scientists confirmed a 160-meter asteroid struck the North Sea 43-46…
- Keywords: breaking, silverpit crater, asteroid impact, tsunami, north sea, heriot-watt university, natural environment research council, nature communications, chicxulub crater, nadir crater, science, massive
- Source: ScienceDaily — https://sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260623011230.htm
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: breaking, silverpit crater, asteroid impact, tsunami, north sea, heriot-watt university, natural environment research council, nature communications, chicxulub crater, nadir crater, science
## Silverpit Crater Mystery
Scientists finally confirmed the origin of the Silverpit Crater beneath the North Sea.
## Ancient Asteroid Impact
New evidence shows a 160-meter-wide asteroid struck the seabed 43 to 46 million years ago.
## Tsunami Triggered
The impact created a tsunami over 100 meters high, later measured at 330 feet.
## Geological Debate
Geologists debated the crater's origin for over two decades, voting in 2009 against impact theory.
## New Evidence
Seismic imaging and shocked quartz samples prove the asteroid impact hypothesis.
## Dr. Uisdean Nicholson
Dr. Uisdean Nicholson of Heriot-Watt University says samples revealed shocked quartz at the crater floor.
## Asteroid Characteristics
The asteroid was 160 meters wide and approached from the west at a shallow angle.
## Tsunami Impact
The impact created a 1.5-kilometer-high wave that collapsed into the sea, forming a 330-foot tsunami.
## Professor Gareth Collins
Professor Gareth Collins of Imperial College London developed models to confirm the impact hypothesis.
## Rare Impact Crater
Silverpit is one of Earth's rare hypervelocity impact craters, preserved for 43-46 million years.
## Known Impact Sites
Silverpit joins Mexico's Chicxulub Crater and West Africa's Nadir Crater as confirmed impact sites.
## Scientific Significance
Scientists use Silverpit to study how asteroid impacts shape Earth and other planets.
## Key takeaway

Scientists confirmed a 160-meter asteroid struck the North Sea 43-46 million years ago, creating a 330-foot tsunami and the Silverpit Crater.