When colossal asteroids rock Earth, it's not all doom and gloom. The menacing asteroid that wiped out non-avian dinosaurs left a colossal marine crater in what's now the Yucatan Peninsula. But after analyzing deeply drilled rock core from the impact site created by the six-mile-wide asteroid, geologists have found compelling evidence that life soon thrived in the basin following the seismic episode. The asteroid's impact stoked nutrients and chemicals to be released from beneath the seafloor, a process called hydrothermal activity. Similar activity naturally occurs today in the deep sea, where hydrothermal vents emit superheated chemical-rich fluid into the water, feeding unique colonies of life, including huge tubeworms, crabs, fish, microorganisms, and beyond. "This study reveals that impact cratering events, while primarily destructive, can in some cases also lead to significant hydrothermal activity," Steven Goderis, a researcher at Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium who co-authored the study, said in a statement. "In the case of Chicxulub, this process played a vital role in the rapid recovery of marine ecosystems." The research was published this week in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications. Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. Loading... Sign Me Up By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use…