Ancient Silverpit Asteroid Impact Produced a North Sea Megatsunami
A 160-metre asteroid struck the North Sea 43–46 million years ago, creating the buried Silverpit Crater near Yorkshire. Simulations suggest the nearby tsunami exceeded 100 metres, but the event poses no current hazard.
By DoomRadar · Published on DoomRadar . Updated .
Based on one source with available article excerpts. Source-linked claims are not independent confirmation.
Event date: The asteroid struck the North Sea approximately 43–46 million years ago. [1]
What happened
The impactor was estimated at about 160 metres across and entered the North Sea at high speed and a shallow angle. The collision deformed a broad area of the seabed and displaced seawater. [1]
References for this detail (1)
- Asteroide provoca efeito catastrófico no Mar do Norte e levanta tsunami de mais de 100 metroscorreiodoestado.com.br · Article published: Sep 30, 2026, 1:50 PM UTC
Simulations indicate that the tsunami near the impact site exceeded 100 metres. The wave formed tens of millions of years ago, rather than during a modern coastal event. [1]
References for this detail (1)
- Asteroide provoca efeito catastrófico no Mar do Norte e levanta tsunami de mais de 100 metroscorreiodoestado.com.br · Article published: Sep 30, 2026, 1:50 PM UTC
The resulting Silverpit Crater is buried approximately 700 metres below the seabed, around 130 kilometres from Yorkshire. It is not visible to ships navigating above the site. [1]
References for this detail (1)
- Asteroide provoca efeito catastrófico no Mar do Norte e levanta tsunami de mais de 100 metroscorreiodoestado.com.br · Article published: Sep 30, 2026, 1:50 PM UTC
Seismic surveys first identified the crater in 2002 during routine subsurface exploration. Its origin remained disputed for more than two decades because underground salt movement could produce a similar shape. [1]
References for this detail (1)
- Asteroide provoca efeito catastrófico no Mar do Norte e levanta tsunami de mais de 100 metroscorreiodoestado.com.br · Article published: Sep 30, 2026, 1:50 PM UTC
Seismic imagery, rock samples and sediment-age data ultimately confirmed an asteroid impact, according to the account. The evidence places the event in the geological past and does not describe present damage or disruption. [1]
References for this detail (1)
- Asteroide provoca efeito catastrófico no Mar do Norte e levanta tsunami de mais de 100 metroscorreiodoestado.com.br · Article published: Sep 30, 2026, 1:50 PM UTC
Explore the sources and reporting timeline
1 source links · 1 domains
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Source timeline
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Questions answered by the reporting
Where is the Silverpit Crater?
It lies about 130 kilometres from Yorkshire and is buried roughly 700 metres beneath the North Sea seabed. [1]
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Sources (1)
References for the reported details. Separate links do not necessarily mean independent confirmation.
Available excerpt
O leito do Mar do Norte foi atingido há 43 a 46 milhões de anos por um asteroide de 160 metros de diâmetro, que viajava…A short excerpt from our source record; open the original for the full article.
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