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The asteroid impact began a sequence of consequences

Rock recovered from the Chicxulub crater records material deposited as the crater changed and water returned, while other clues inform hypotheses about the longer aftermath.

5–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • How can researchers separate what a rock core preserves from what a model reconstructs?
  • How do local deposits and evidence of global atmospheric changes answer different questions about the aftermath?

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Earth and weather

How can lines on a map show a steep hill?

A flat map can warn you that a route climbs sharply before you ever see the hill. Contour lines join places of equal height, and their spacing adds information about how quickly the ground rises.

2–3 min
Earth and weather

How can an earthquake alert arrive before strong shaking?

An earthquake alert can beat the strongest shaking to a distant location even though the earthquake has already started. Detection and communication can travel ahead of the damaging waves, but nearby places may receive little or no warning.

4–5 min
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