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The impact hypothesis as a mechanism for the origin of the Amazon basin - analysis of antipodal impacts of celestial bodies and their impact on global morphotectonics
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Abstract
The Amazon Basin is the largest fluvial system on Earth, yet its central subsidence and asymmetrical drainage pattern remain partially unexplained by traditional geological models. This study introduces a novel impact-based hypothesis, proposing that the Amazon depression is a result of tectonic deformation at the intersection of seismic shockwaves originating from two major planetary impacts: the Chicxulub impact in the Yucatán Peninsula (~66 Ma) and a hypothesized earlier impact near the Mariana Trench. The work explores the possibility of large-scale antypodal amplification of seismic energy and interference effects as mechanisms for continental-scale deformation. Using geoinformatics tools (ArcGIS, GPlates), topographic and gravimetric data (SRTM, GEBCO, GRACE), and comparative planetary analogs (Mars, Mercury, Moon), the study outlines a synthetic geodynamic model explaining the origin of the Amazon Basin as a post-impact geostructure. The findings suggest a need to reevaluate the role of extraterrestrial forces in shaping Earth’s major geological features and offer a new interdisciplinary research direction integrating impact geology, geophysics, and tectonics.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.31223/X52T6K
Subjects
Earth Sciences, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Other Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Keywords
mpact hypothesis, Mariana Trench, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Amazon River Basin, tectonic funnel, antipodal impacts, planetary geology, geodynamics, oceanic relief formation, dual impact theory, impact hypothesis
Dates
Published: 2025-04-23 11:57
Last Updated: 2025-04-23 11:57
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Views: 9748
Downloads: 267
Comment #225 Robert Jan Kütz @ 2025-07-23 02:29
A fascinating and bold concept! The author presents an ambitious attempt to link geological features with impact hypotheses involving celestial bodies, offering a fresh perspective on the origin of the Amazon Basin. The focus on antipodal interactions and the analysis of secondary seismic effects is particularly intriguing, a rarely explored approach in this context. I'm looking forward to further research and the development of this theory in future publications. Congratulations on the scientific courage and interdisciplinary insight!