In the aftermath, sulfuric acid likely rained down on the planet. And increased levels of carbon dioxide might have sent temperatures soaring back upward in a violent swing, further distressing an Earth already wracked at the time by extreme volcanism.

Sharpton said the International Continental Drilling Program hopes to begin work in June, drilling deep into the inside rim of the ancient crater at a point about 40 miles (70 kilometers) from ground zero. A second project, the Ocean Drilling Program, will do more offshore drilling work on Chicxulub in 2003. In recent years, the National University of Mexico (UNAM) and Mexico’s state oil company (PEMEX) have done extensive drilling in the region.

The work may confirm earlier data that suggest the rocks at the impact site contain more carbonates and sulfates than previously believed, which would promote the notion of an atmospheric chemistry crisis of global proportions.

Drill cores should also reveal a fossil record that will show how life rebounded following the asteroid impact.