Shiva crater: Difference between revisions
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The '''Shiva Crater''' is a geologic structure, which is hypothesized by [[Sankar Chatterjee]]<ref name="chatterjee 1997">{{cite book|last=Chatterjee|first=S.|title=Comparative Planetology, Geological Education, History of Geology: Proceedings of the 30th International Geological Congress, Beijing, China, 4–14 August 1996|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3IORF1Ei3LIC&pg=PA31|year=1997|publisher=VSP|isbn=978-90-6764-254-5|pages=31–54|chapter='Multiple impacts at the KT boundary and the death of the dinosaurs}}</ref> and colleagues to be a {{convert|500|km|mi|adj=on}} diameter asteroid impact structure. This geologic structure consists of the [[Bombay High]] and [[Surat]] Depression. They lie beneath the Indian continental shelf and the [[Arabian Sea]] west of [[Mumbai]], [[India]]. Chatterjee named this structure after [[Shiva]], the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] god of destruction and renewal.<ref name="chatterjee 1997"/><ref name="chatterjee 5">Chatterjee, S., N. Guven, A. Yoshinobu, and R. Donofrio. (2006) ''Shiva Structure: a possible KT boundary impact crater on the western shelf of India.'' Museum of Texas Tech University Special Publications. 50, 39pp.</ref> |
The '''Shiva Crater''' is a geologic structure, which is hypothesized by [[Paleontology|paleontologist]] [[Sankar Chatterjee]]<ref name="chatterjee 1997">{{cite book|last=Chatterjee|first=S.|title=Comparative Planetology, Geological Education, History of Geology: Proceedings of the 30th International Geological Congress, Beijing, China, 4–14 August 1996|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3IORF1Ei3LIC&pg=PA31|year=1997|publisher=VSP|isbn=978-90-6764-254-5|pages=31–54|chapter='Multiple impacts at the KT boundary and the death of the dinosaurs}}</ref> and colleagues to be a {{convert|500|km|mi|adj=on}} diameter asteroid impact structure. This geologic structure consists of the [[Bombay High]] and [[Surat]] Depression. They lie beneath the Indian continental shelf and the [[Arabian Sea]] west of [[Mumbai]], [[India]]. Chatterjee named this structure after [[Shiva]], the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] god of destruction and renewal.<ref name="chatterjee 1997"/><ref name="chatterjee 5">Chatterjee, S., N. Guven, A. Yoshinobu, and R. Donofrio. (2006) ''Shiva Structure: a possible KT boundary impact crater on the western shelf of India.'' Museum of Texas Tech University Special Publications. 50, 39pp.</ref> Other scholars have questioned the claims. |
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{{refn|group=note|name=EID|Wikipedia uses the [[Earth Impact Database]] (EID) as the most authoritative at for confirming the craters;<ref>[http://www.passc.net/EarthImpactDatabase/index.html Earth Impact Database]</ref> however, as of 22 December 2019, confirmation of the Shiva crater has not been added to the EID.}} |
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== Arguments == |
== Arguments == |
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The proposed Shiva Crater and other possible impact craters along with the [[Chicxulub crater|Chicxulub]] have led to the hypothesis that multiple impacts caused the massive extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous period. Chatterjee is confident that Shiva was one of many impacts, stating that "the K-T extinction was definitely a multiple-impact scenario."<ref name= Rampino>Rampino, M. R., and B. M. Haggerty (1996) ''The “Shiva Hypothesis”: Impacts, mass extinctions, and the galaxy.'' Earth, Moon, and Planets. 72(1–3):441–460.</ref> Other theories have argued that since the Chicxulub impact is believed by some researchers to have occurred ''earlier'' than the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs, Shiva's impact was enough to cause the mass extinction by itself.<ref name="Davis2004a">Davis, J. W. (2006) |
The proposed Shiva Crater and other possible impact craters along with the [[Chicxulub crater|Chicxulub]] have led to the hypothesis that multiple impacts caused the massive extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous period. Chatterjee is confident that Shiva was one of many impacts, stating that "the K-T extinction was definitely a multiple-impact scenario."<ref name= Rampino>Rampino, M. R., and B. M. Haggerty (1996) ''The “Shiva Hypothesis”: Impacts, mass extinctions, and the galaxy.'' Earth, Moon, and Planets. 72(1–3):441–460.</ref> Other theories have argued that since the Chicxulub impact is believed by some researchers to have occurred ''earlier'' than the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs, Shiva's impact was enough to cause the mass extinction by itself.<ref name="Davis2004a">Davis, J. W. (2006) |
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[https://web.archive.org/web/20070505021703/http://www.depts.ttu.edu/communications/news/stories/06-11-dinosaur.php archived copy] of [http://www.depts.ttu.edu/communications/news/stories/06-11-dinosaur.php ''Texas Tech Paleontologist Finds Evidence That Meteorite Strike Near Bombay May Have Wiped Out Dinosaurs.''] Texas Tech Today, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas.</ref> Evidence published in a 2013 ''[[Science (journal)|Science]]'' article by [[Paul Renne|Paul R. Renne]] at the University of California at Berkeley suggests that the [[Chicxulub crater]] is in fact within the time frame of when the mass extinction occurred.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Renne|first1=Paul|url=https://eps.harvard.edu/files/eps/files/renne.kt_.science.2013.pdf|title=Time Scales of Critical Events Around the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary|journal=Science|date=8 February 2013|volume=339|issue=6120|pages=684–7|bibcode=2013Sci...339..684R|doi=10.1126/science.1230492|pmid=23393261|s2cid=6112274}}</ref> |
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070505021703/http://www.depts.ttu.edu/communications/news/stories/06-11-dinosaur.php archived copy] of [http://www.depts.ttu.edu/communications/news/stories/06-11-dinosaur.php ''Texas Tech Paleontologist Finds Evidence That Meteorite Strike Near Bombay May Have Wiped Out Dinosaurs.''] Texas Tech Today, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas.</ref> Evidence published in a 2013 ''[[Science (journal)|Science]]'' article by [[Paul Renne|Paul R. Renne]] at the University of California at Berkeley suggests that the [[Chicxulub crater]] is in fact within the time frame of when the mass extinction occurred.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Renne|first1=Paul|url=https://eps.harvard.edu/files/eps/files/renne.kt_.science.2013.pdf|title=Time Scales of Critical Events Around the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary|journal=Science|date=8 February 2013|volume=339|issue=6120|pages=684–7|bibcode=2013Sci...339..684R|doi=10.1126/science.1230492|pmid=23393261|s2cid=6112274}}</ref> |
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=== Criticism === |
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The claims of an impact crater have been criticised, with [[Christian Koeberl]], a Professor of Geology at the [[University of Vienna]] and a specialist on impact craters, described the claims in 2004 as "a figment of imagination."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mullen|first=Leslie|date=7 November 2004|title=Shiva: Another K-T Impact?|url=https://www.spacedaily.com/news/deepimpact-04r.html|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-16|website=Astrobiology Magazine|via=www.spacedaily.com}}</ref> American geologist [[Gerta Keller]], stated in 2007 that "We have worked extensively throughout India and investigated a number of the localities where Sankar Chatterjee claims to have evidence of a large impact he calls Shiva crater," and "Unfortunately, we have found no evidence to support his claims? Sorry to say, this is all nonsense." Geophysicist Steve Gulick stated in the same year that: "There's a bunch of problems to say the least. There is no evidence that [Chatterjee is] presenting of it actually being a crater.", and questioned the oval shape of the structure as unlikely for an impact crater<ref>{{Cite web|last=Moskowitz|first=Clara|date=2009-10-18|title=New Dino-destroying Theory Fuels Hot Debate|url=https://www.space.com/7413-dino-destroying-theory-fuels-hot-debate.html|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-16|website=Space.com|language=en}}</ref> In the chapter "Impact Cratering from an Indian Perspective" in the book ''Earth System Processes and Disaster Management'' geologists Jayanta K. Pati and Puniti Pati write that "...the proposed Shiva structure in the Arabian Sea to the southwest of the Indian subcontinent (Chatterjee et al. 2006) have also been suggested to be of possible impact origin. However, Chatterjee et al. (2006) do not provide any substantial evidence for the existence of a crater structure and certainly not for the existence of an impact structure at Shiva."<ref>{{Citation|last=Pati|first=Jayanta K.|title=Impact Cratering from an Indian Perspective|date=2013|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28845-6_15|work=Earth System Processes and Disaster Management|pages=213–229|editor-last=Sinha|editor-first=Rajiv|series=Society of Earth Scientists Series|place=Berlin, Heidelberg|publisher=Springer|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-3-642-28845-6_15|isbn=978-3-642-28845-6|access-date=2022-01-16|last2=Pati|first2=Puniti|editor2-last=Ravindra|editor2-first=Rasik}}</ref> |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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Revision as of 22:07, 16 January 2022
| Shiva crater | |
|---|---|
  Location of the crater offshore India | |
| Impact crater/structure | |
| Diameter | 500 km (310 mi) |
| Age | ~66 million years Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary |
| Exposed | No |
| Drilled | No |
| Location | |
| Location | Mumbai Offshore Basin |
| Coordinates | 18°40′N 70°14′E / 18.667°N 70.233°E |
| Country | India |
The Shiva Crater is a geologic structure, which is hypothesized by paleontologist Sankar Chatterjee[1] and colleagues to be a 500-kilometre (310 mi) diameter asteroid impact structure. This geologic structure consists of the Bombay High and Surat Depression. They lie beneath the Indian continental shelf and the Arabian Sea west of Mumbai, India. Chatterjee named this structure after Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and renewal.[1][2] Other scholars have questioned the claims.
Arguments
Chatterjee argues that the Shiva Crater was formed around 65 million years ago, about the same time as a number of other impact craters and the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event (Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary / K-Pg boundary). Although the site has shifted since its formation because of sea floor spreading, the formation is approximately 600 kilometres (370 miles) long by 400 km (250 mi) wide. If its status as an impact crater is ever confirmed, the Shiva crater would be the largest-known impact crater on Earth. It is estimated that this proposed crater would have been made by an asteroid or comet approximately 40 km (25 mi) in diameter.[1][2]
At the time of the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction, India was located over the Réunion hotspot of the Indian Ocean. Hot material rising from the mantle flooded portions of India with a vast amount of lava, creating a plateau known as the Deccan Traps. It has been hypothesized that either the crater or the Deccan Traps associated with the area are the reason for the high level of oil and natural gas reserves in the region.[3]
Geology and morphology
Unlike typical known extraterrestrial impact structures, Shiva is teardrop shaped, roughly 600 km × 400 km (370 mi × 250 mi). It is also unusually rectangular. Chatterjee argues that the low angle of an impact combined with boundary fault lines and unstable rock led to this unusual formation.[2] The age of the structure is inferred from the Deccan Traps which overlie part of it.[2]
Shiva and mass extinction
The proposed Shiva Crater and other possible impact craters along with the Chicxulub have led to the hypothesis that multiple impacts caused the massive extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous period. Chatterjee is confident that Shiva was one of many impacts, stating that "the K-T extinction was definitely a multiple-impact scenario."[4] Other theories have argued that since the Chicxulub impact is believed by some researchers to have occurred earlier than the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs, Shiva's impact was enough to cause the mass extinction by itself.[5] Evidence published in a 2013 Science article by Paul R. Renne at the University of California at Berkeley suggests that the Chicxulub crater is in fact within the time frame of when the mass extinction occurred.[6]
Criticism
The claims of an impact crater have been criticised, with Christian Koeberl, a Professor of Geology at the University of Vienna and a specialist on impact craters, described the claims in 2004 as "a figment of imagination."[7] American geologist Gerta Keller, stated in 2007 that "We have worked extensively throughout India and investigated a number of the localities where Sankar Chatterjee claims to have evidence of a large impact he calls Shiva crater," and "Unfortunately, we have found no evidence to support his claims? Sorry to say, this is all nonsense." Geophysicist Steve Gulick stated in the same year that: "There's a bunch of problems to say the least. There is no evidence that [Chatterjee is] presenting of it actually being a crater.", and questioned the oval shape of the structure as unlikely for an impact crater[8] In the chapter "Impact Cratering from an Indian Perspective" in the book Earth System Processes and Disaster Management geologists Jayanta K. Pati and Puniti Pati write that "...the proposed Shiva structure in the Arabian Sea to the southwest of the Indian subcontinent (Chatterjee et al. 2006) have also been suggested to be of possible impact origin. However, Chatterjee et al. (2006) do not provide any substantial evidence for the existence of a crater structure and certainly not for the existence of an impact structure at Shiva."[9]
See also
- Impact craters in India
- Lonar crater at Lonar in Buldhana district of Maharashtra
- Luna crater at Kutch district of Gujarat
- Ramgarh Crater in Mangrol tehsil of Baran district of Rajasthan
- Shiva crater, an undersea super crater west of India
- Other related topics
- Indian Ocean submerged features
Notes
References
- ^ a b c Chatterjee, S. (1997). "'Multiple impacts at the KT boundary and the death of the dinosaurs". Comparative Planetology, Geological Education, History of Geology: Proceedings of the 30th International Geological Congress, Beijing, China, 4–14 August 1996. VSP. pp. 31–54. ISBN 978-90-6764-254-5.
- ^ a b c d Chatterjee, S., N. Guven, A. Yoshinobu, and R. Donofrio. (2006) Shiva Structure: a possible KT boundary impact crater on the western shelf of India. Museum of Texas Tech University Special Publications. 50, 39pp.
- ^ Agrawal, P., Pandey, O. (November 2000). "Thermal regime, hydrocarbon maturation and geodynamic events along the western margin of India since late Cretaceous". Journal of Geodynamics. 30 (4): 439–459. Bibcode:2000JGeo...30..439P. doi:10.1016/S0264-3707(00)00002-8.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Rampino, M. R., and B. M. Haggerty (1996) The “Shiva Hypothesis”: Impacts, mass extinctions, and the galaxy. Earth, Moon, and Planets. 72(1–3):441–460.
- ^ Davis, J. W. (2006) archived copy of Texas Tech Paleontologist Finds Evidence That Meteorite Strike Near Bombay May Have Wiped Out Dinosaurs. Texas Tech Today, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas.
- ^ Renne, Paul (8 February 2013). "Time Scales of Critical Events Around the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary" (PDF). Science. 339 (6120): 684–7. Bibcode:2013Sci...339..684R. doi:10.1126/science.1230492. PMID 23393261. S2CID 6112274.
- ^ Mullen, Leslie (7 November 2004). "Shiva: Another K-T Impact?". Astrobiology Magazine. Retrieved 2022-01-16 – via www.spacedaily.com.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Moskowitz, Clara (2009-10-18). "New Dino-destroying Theory Fuels Hot Debate". Space.com. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Pati, Jayanta K.; Pati, Puniti (2013), Sinha, Rajiv; Ravindra, Rasik (eds.), "Impact Cratering from an Indian Perspective", Earth System Processes and Disaster Management, Society of Earth Scientists Series, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, pp. 213–229, doi:10.1007/978-3-642-28845-6_15, ISBN 978-3-642-28845-6, retrieved 2022-01-16
External links
- The Shiva Crater: Implications for Deccan Volcanism, India-seychelles Rifting, Dinosaur Extinction, and Petroleum Entrapment at the Kt Boundary by Chatterjee, Sankar; Guven, Necip; Yoshinobu, Aaaron; and Donofrio, Richard; Paper No. 60-8, 2003 Seattle Annual Meeting of Geological Society of America (November 2–5, 2003).
- Deep Impact - Shiva: Another K-T Impact? by Leslie Mullen for Astrobiology Magazine (Nov. 2004).
- The Complete Catalog of the Earth's Impact structures
- Shiva Structure: A Possible KT Boundary Impact Crater on the Western Shelf of India
