Deep beneath the quiet waters of the North Sea lies one of the most remarkable hidden scars on our planet, a massive crater created by an asteroid impact more than 43 million years ago. Known as the Silverpit Crater, this submerged structure sat undiscovered for millions of years until seismic surveys carried out by oil and gas companies in 2002 revealed something extraordinary. What looked at first like just another set of geological formations turned out to be a multi-ringed crater, a feature normally associated with giant asteroid strikes. At its core, the crater measures roughly 3.2 kilometers across, but the disturbed zone spreads outward nearly 20 kilometers, forming concentric rings and a raised central peak -- classic hallmarks of a violent impact event.
For years after its discovery, scientists debated whether Silverpit was truly an asteroid crater or simply the result of shifting salt layers deep beneath the seabed. The North Sea is well known for its thick Permian salt beds, and geologists argued that the collapse of these deposits could create circular features that mimic impact structures. In fact, in 2009 the Geological Society of London even leaned toward dismissing the impact theory. But that controversy only made the mystery more compelling. Geologists, planetary scientists and oil exploration experts all weighed in, searching for the smoking gun that would prove Silverpit's true origin.
It wasn't until new research in 2025 that the case was finally solved. Using advanced 3D seismic imaging and microscopic analysis of rock samples, scientists uncovered conclusive evidence of shock deformation in mineral grains. These tell-tale signs form only under the immense pressures of a hypervelocity impact, something no natural Earth process can replicate. Coupled with more accurate fossil dating from surrounding sediments, researchers were able to pin down the age of the crater to between 43 and 46 million years ago, right in the middle of the Eocene epoch. This was the final piece of the puzzle, transforming Silverpit from a geological oddity into a confirmed asteroid crater beneath the sea.
The impact itself would have been an incredible sight. A rocky asteroid about 150 meters wide came screaming through the atmosphere at tens of kilometers per second. It plunged into a shallow sea, briefly cushioned by the water column, but the energy release was so immense that the water and much of the underlying rock were instantly vaporized. A giant plume of steam and debris erupted skyward, while the seabed collapsed and then rebounded to form a central peak. Waves as high as 100 meters surged outward, likely creating powerful tsunamis that raced across northern Europe's coastlines. Although not on the same scale as the dinosaur-killing Chicxulub impact, this event was catastrophic on a regional level and left a scar that would be buried yet preserved for millions of years.
For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest,
nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.
—Luke 8:17
Interesting, waves a hundred clicks high. In today’s world we are talking millions of deaths and destruction beyond that of several nuclear strikes.