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What Happens if a Large Meteorite Hits the Ocean?

Meteoroids are pieces of cosmic debris or rock that are smaller than asteroids. Hundreds of meteoroids enter the Earth's atmosphere each day, becoming meteors. The majority of meteors are vaporized as they travel through the atmosphere and never reach earth. While a large meteorite has yet to reach land in modern times, scientists can predict the effects it would have if it hit the ocean.

  1. Impact Craters

    • Regardless of whether a meteorite hits on land or in the ocean, an impact crater will form. The depth of a crater made in the ocean would be less than if the same meteorite struck land because of the resistance of the water.

    Tsunamis

    • The water being displaced by the meteorite will form a huge tidal wave. Scientists can calculate the height of the wave based on the weight of the meteorite and the distance from the impact site if a meteorite landing is imminent. After the initial tsunami caused by the impact, steam and shifts in the tectonic plates caused by the impact will create additional tidal waves.

    Fire and Acid Rain

    • If a meteoroid is big enough, chunks of debris that break off the main meteoroid as it travels through Earth's atmosphere will heat up because of friction from the atmosphere and rain fire down on a global scale. In addition to the destruction caused by the fire, tons of soot will enter the Earth's atmosphere, which will combine with water vapor to form nitric acid rain and destroy the ozone layer.

    Ozone Depletion

    • A byproduct of the acid rain process is ozone depletion. Ozone molecules react irreversibly with one of the intermediate products of the acid rain chemical process, forming oxygen and nitrogen dioxide, which are also critical components of the acid rain chemical process. Destruction of the ozone layer increases the amount of ultraviolet radiation that would reach the Earth's surface.

    Mass Extinction

    • A large meteorite that hits the Earth will ultimately result in the mass extinction of many, if not all, animals and plants. Organisms that do not die as a result of the meteorite's initial impact will face first the tsunamis, then the acid rain and global firestorm, as well as the depletion of the ozone system. Soot will block out the sunlight, killing any plant life that was able to survive the fires and acid rain. The respiratory systems of most animal species will be impacted by the soot and the food chain will collapse without enough plant life to sustain it.

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