Yes, a meteor impact in the ocean can indeed cause a tsunami.
While relatively rare, the fall of meteorites or asteroids into the Earth's oceans possesses the potential to generate tsunamis of significant, even cataclysmic, proportions. The size of the tsunami would depend heavily on several factors:
- Meteor Size: Larger meteors generate larger tsunamis.
- Meteor Composition: The meteor's density and structural integrity affect its penetration and energy transfer into the water.
- Impact Location: Deep ocean impacts transfer energy differently than shallow water impacts. Coastal impacts can be particularly devastating.
- Impact Angle: A direct, perpendicular impact transfers more energy than a glancing blow.
- Ocean Depth: The depth of the water at the impact site influences wave formation and propagation.
While smaller meteors might create localized disturbances, a sufficiently large meteor impact could displace a massive amount of water, creating a tsunami that propagates across the ocean, impacting coastlines thousands of kilometers away. The resulting wave heights and inundation could cause widespread destruction and loss of life.
For example, the Chicxulub impactor, a massive asteroid that struck the Yucatan Peninsula approximately 66 million years ago, generated mega-tsunamis that scoured coastlines worldwide. While this event was far larger than most potential impacts, it illustrates the destructive power of asteroid/meteor-induced tsunamis.
The probability of a large meteor impact generating a devastating tsunami is statistically low, but the potential consequences are severe.
