Ancient Crash, Epic Wave

NY Times ^ | November 14, 2006 | SANDRA BLAKESLEE

[Pharmboy]

Dallas Abbott
The Fenambosy chevron, one of four near the tip of Madagascar, is 600 feet high and three miles from the ocean.

At the southern end of Madagascar lie four enormous wedge-shaped sediment deposits, called chevrons, that are composed of material from the ocean floor. Each covers twice the area of Manhattan with sediment as deep as the Chrysler Building is high.

On close inspection, the chevron deposits contain deep ocean microfossils that are fused with a medley of metals typically formed by cosmic impacts.

snip...

The explanation is obvious to some scientists. A large asteroid or comet, the kind that could kill a quarter of the world’s population, smashed into the Indian Ocean 4,800 years ago, producing a tsunami at least 600 feet high, about 13 times as big as the one that inundated Indonesia nearly two years ago. The wave carried the huge deposits of sediment to land.

snip...

Burckle crater has not been dated, but Dr. Abbott estimates that it is 4,500 to 5,000 years old.

snip...He thinks he can say precisely when the comet fell: on the morning of May 10, 2807 B.C.

Dr. Masse analyzed 175 flood myths from around the world, and tried to relate them to known and accurately dated natural events like solar eclipses and volcanic eruptions. Among other evidence, he said, 14 flood myths specifically mention a full solar eclipse, which could have been the one that occurred in May 2807 B.C.

Half the myths talk of a torrential downpour, Dr. Masse said. A third talk of a tsunami. Worldwide they describe hurricane force winds and darkness during the storm. All of these could come from a mega-tsunami.

Of course, extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof, Dr. Masse said, “and we’re not there yet.”

[cogitator]

BUMP

[blam]

Excellent article, bookmarking quality. Thanks for posting.

[Pharmboy]

Well, those sumb*tches over on West 43rd St do this kind of stuff pretty well.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Pharmboy! Best catastrophism topic in a while, worthy of the big fancy.

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[Professional Engineer]

Shouldn't these be called Halliburtons?

[Hegemony Cricket]

LOL!

[stacytec]

We worry about global warming and this thing tossed the ocean floor a few hundred miles. I'm sure the tidal wave was welcome relief after that 4000 degree heat wave.

[Pharmboy]

Wow! My post earned the "burning catastrophism" gif. I am honored...

[Doomonyou]

[Rockingham]

Velikovsky is not quite vindicated, but surely he is entitled to a chuckle now that "catastrophism" has gone mainstream.

[Pharmboy]

Good point. The old man had a bit of his cosmic vision correct.

[Ditter]

Yikes, where do you suppose the photographer was standing? On the beach, or a boat? Either one would be scary.

[jpsb]

Someone is about to get clobbered! Cool, very cool pic. Crazy, very crazy surfer.

[blam]

"The old man had a bit of his cosmic vision correct."

I read a critic say that his biggest problem was trying to explain everything.

[SunkenCiv]

Earned, with interest. Not monetary interest, you understand, just intellectual interest. ;')

[SunkenCiv]

:') Well put.

[Pharmboy]

That sums it up quite nicely.

One cosmological theory at a time, thank you very much.

[Hatteras]

Either on shore with a very long lens or riding on the back of a WaveRunner. Judging by the water in the foreground, I would go with the WaveRunner.

[VOA]

bump

[Vinnie]

I remember many years ago I wondered why geodes could be found in Tampa Bay. The area is not known for a volcanic past.

Apparently the geodes are from the Yucatan meteorite/asteroid event.