A massive landslide in the Grand Canyon 56,000 years ago blocked the Colorado River. (Image credit: kjetilporsboll/500px via Getty Images)
A new study suggests that the ancient meteorite impact that created Arizona's Barringer Crater sent shock waves that reached the Grand Canyon, likely causing a landslide that blocked the Colorado River.
Barringer Crater, also known as Meteor Crater, was formed 53,000 to 63,000 years ago when a huge space object crashed into the Earth's surface. Scientists have noted that the force of the impact extended more than 100 miles to the Grand Canyon, which may have caused an entire slope to collapse into a river.
The discovery, reported July 15 in the journal Geology, establishes a link between two significant events that were previously thought to be entirely independent.
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Sourse: www.livescience.com
