Evidence for a late Triassic multiple impact event on Earth

摘要: Evidence for the collision of fragmented comets or asteroids with some larger (jovian) planets and their moons is now well established following dramatic impact disrupted comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 Jupiter in 1994 (ref. 1). Collisions by objects result multiple impacts that can lead to formation linear crater chains, catenae, on planetary surfaces2. Here we present evidence a event occurred Earth. Five terrestrial structures have been found possess comparable ages (∼214 Myr), coincident Norian stage Triassic period. These craters are Rochechouart (France), Manicouagan Saint Martin (Canada), Obolon' (Ukraine) Red Wing (USA). When these plotted tectonic reconstruction North American Eurasian plates 214 Myr before present, three largest (Rochechouart, Martin) co-latitudinal at 22.8° (within 1.2°, ∼110 km), span 43.5° palaeolongitude. may thus represent remains chain least 4,462 km long. The craters, other hand, lie great circles identical declination Martin, respectively. We therefore suggest five were formed same time hours) during caused asteroid colliding