14 
140 million years ago. Simulations of the tsunami triggered by this event and its propagation 
in the Paleobarents Sea resulted in maximum water levels of about 100 m in northern 
Norway. In these simulations, the surface elevation outside Bergen was 30-50 m (Glimsdal et 
al. 2007,10.3: ICG10). 
= 
-400 -300 -200 -100 0 IOO 200 300 396 
km 
Fig. 3.4.1: Simulation of Mjelnir impact north of Norway (1), maximum vertical surface 
displacement in km during the tsunami propagation from 17 min to 1 h 10 min after 
impact (Glimsdal et al. 2007, upper left of Fig. 19) 
Meteoritic impacts in different regions of the North-East Atlantic Ocean (Mader 2004: 
ATLAST.MVE, EURAST.MVE, ICEAST.MVE) were simulated as well. The resulting tsunami 
propagate in the area between Iceland and Scotland and reach the North Sea after different 
periods of time, depending on the impact location. Wave height depends on the type and 
size of the falling body and on the distance from the initial disturbance. For example, an 
asteroid of 500 m diameter can generate a tsunami which, 500 km from the impact location, 
is 37 m high and has a period of 180 s (Bryant, 2001, Table 8.2). A tsunami computed by 
Ward et al. (2003), triggered by an assumed impact of the asteroid “1950 DA” off the U.S.A., 
generates waves that are still 20 m high off Ireland. However, agreement on quantitative 
assumptions has not yet been reached in the scientific community.