Chicxulub impact tsunami megaripples in the subsurface of Louisiana: Imaged in petroleum industry seismic data

Large-scale megaripples have been recognized in a petroleum industry 3D seismic horizon near the Cretaceous/Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary. These features occur at the top of the Cretaceous/Paleogene Boundary Deposit (KPBD) which is a "cocktail" of mass transport deposits and debris widely recognized as resulting from the impact of a large bolide 66 million years ago (Ma) creating the Chicxulub impact crater on the northwestern corner of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. We examine the seismic data and associated well-logs and conclude that the features are megaripples caused by the tsunami resulting from the impact. These megaripples are preserved as a result of having formed below storm wave base and being buried by Paleocene deep water shales. This association suggests that the Chicxulub impact is the single cause for the KPBD, the megaripples, and the end of the Mesozoic.