Where was the Yucatan located 65 million years ago?

July 19, 2010 8:52 AM

Where was the Yucatan peninsula located during the impact that created the Chicxulub crater?

I'm looking for a map that depicts Earth at the end of the Mesozoic era and beginning of the Cenozoic, when the impact event occurred in the Yucatan peninsula to create the Chicxulub crater. I've been able to find plenty of information on the crater's current location, but 65 million years is a long time even for continents, and I'm wondering where the Yucatan was located back then.

Thanks!

posted by burnfirewalls to Science & Nature (4 answers total)

Best answer: Maps here. (Search term "continental drift" Jurassic)
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 8:56 AM on July 19, 2010

Best answer: Neat question! This page seems to have what you're looking for and I found it via googling "cenozoic yucatan chicxulub".

IANAPAP (paleo-astro-physicist) so I dunno how accurate it is.
posted by anti social order at 9:04 AM on July 19, 2010

Best answer: Here's another and it has the impact location noted. The Paleontology Portal also has some maps that are clickable by period.
posted by pappy at 9:10 AM on July 19, 2010

Response by poster: Nice search skills! I couldn't get both time and place nailed down in my searches, only one or the other. Those links are perfect.

This was the sticking point for a short story I was writing. If you're interested to read a narrative where I butcher carefully collected scientific data for cheap laughs, the link's in my profile.

Thanks everyone!
posted by burnfirewalls at 1:35 PM on July 19, 2010