Evidence of ancient meteorite strike found

GLASGOW, Scotland, March 29 (UPI) -- Geologists said a seam of stratified rock on the northwest coast of Scotland was formed by a major meteorite strike 1.2 billion years ago.

The scientists said it appears the meteorite hit Earth with the force of a 145,000 megaton bomb, the Scotsman newspaper reported Friday. The meteorite is thought to have measured more than one-half mile across, ejecting rock over a 40-mile area.

"This is the most spectacular evidence for a meteorite impact within the British Isles to date, and what we have discovered about this meteorite strike could help us understand the ancient impacts that shaped the surface of other planets, such as Mars," Oxford University geologist Ken Amor said.