Damage at different distances from Meteor Crater Asteroid diameter = 130’ Crater diameter = 0.7 miles Asteroid density = iron Energy of impact = 20,000,000 tons (20 Mt) Impact angle = 45° Target = sedimentary rocks Asteroid speed = 25 km/s (15.5 miles/s, or 55,800 Seismic magnitude at impact site = Richter M4.9 mph) Distance from Seismic event Air blast impact
124 miles Barely felt. 52 dB, 2.2 mph, after 10.1 minutes. (ASU) No damage. 32 miles Felt by nearly everyone, 65 dB, 9 mph, after 2.6 minutes. Flagstaff (Flagstaff) people woken, and some No damage. dishes/windows broken. Winslow 16 miles Felt by nearly everyone, 72 dB, 21 mph, after 1.3 minutes. (Winslow) people woken, and some No damage. Meteor dishes/windows broken. Crater 5 miles Felt by nearly everyone, 87 db, 111 mph, after 24 seconds. Wood frame people woken, and some buildings blown downs, windows shatter, and dishes/windows broken. 30% of trees blown down. ASU 2 miles Felt by nearly everyone, 102 dB, 479 mph, after 10 seconds. Multistory people woken, and some and wooden buildings collapse, windows dishes/windows broken. shatter, and 90% of trees blown down. 1 mile Felt by nearly everyone, 115 dB, 1250 mph, after 5 seconds. Multistory people woken, and some and wooden buildings and bridges collapse, dishes/windows broken. windows shatter, cars damaged and moved, and 90% of trees blown down.
Noble Gas, Geochemistry & Geochronology Laboratories Damage at different distances from Chicxulub crater Asteroid diameter = 7.1 miles Crater diameter = 93 miles Asteroid density = dense rock (chondrite) Energy of impact = 100,000,000 Mt Impact angle = 45° Target = sedimentary rocks Asteroid speed = 25 km/s (15.5 miles/s, or Seismic magnitude at impact site = Richter M10.2 55,800 mph) Thermal radiation limit = 940 miles
Houston
Havana
Cancun Mexico Noble Gas, City Geochemistry & Geochronology Laboratories
Distance from Thermal radiation Seismic event Ejecta Air blast impact thickness
1,622 miles (ASU) None – below the horizon. Felt by nearly everyone, people woken, 0.8” after 15 90 dB, 143 mph, after 2.2 hours. Wood buildings and some dishes and windows broken. minutes. collapse, windows break, and trees blown down. 699 miles Visible fireball radius = 50 miles (16 times larger Felt by nearly everyone, people woken, 11” after 9 104 dB, 541 mph, after 57 minutes. Multistory (Houston, USA) than the Sun), 7 seconds after impact, for 39 and some dishes and windows broken. minutes. and wooden buildings collapse, windows shatter, minutes. Clothes , grass, paper, wood and trees and 90% of trees blown down. ignite, and most animals suffer 3rd degree burns. 635 miles Visible fireball radius = 61 miles (22 times larger Felt by nearly everyone, people woken, 14”, after 8 106 dB, 623 mph, after 52 minutes. Multistory (Mexico City, than the Sun), 7 seconds after impact, for 39 and some dishes and windows broken. minutes. and wooden buildings collapse, windows shatter, Mexico) minutes. Clothes , grass, paper, wood and trees and 90% of trees blown down. ignite, and most animals suffer 3rd degree burns. 475 miles Visible fireball radius = 83 miles (40 times larger Felt by all. Slight to moderate damage 33”, after 7 111 dB, 933 mph, after 39 minutes. Multistory (Havana, Cuba) than the Sun), 7 seconds after impact, for 39 to well-built buildings, considerable minutes. and wooden buildings and bridges collapse, minutes. Clothes , grass, paper, wood and trees damage to poorly-built buildings. windows shatter, cars damaged and moved, and ignite, and most animals suffer 3rd degree burns. 90% of trees blown down. 173 miles Visible fireball radius = 108 miles (142 times larger Most buildings, foundations, and 58 feet, after 4 130 dB, 3240 mph, after 14 minutes. Multistory (Cancun, Mexico) than the Sun), 7 seconds after impact, for 39 bridges destroyed. Large landslides. minutes. and wooden buildings and bridges collapse, minutes. Clothes , grass, paper, wood and trees windows shatter, cars damaged and moved, and ignite, and most animals suffer 3rd degree burns. 90% of trees blown down. Sources of Impact Crater Study Materials
• The Earth Impact Database, University of New Brunswick • http://passc.net/EarthImpactDatabase/New%20website_05-2018/Index.html
• The Lunar and Planetary Institute, Texas • https://www.lpi.usra.edu/
• “Traces of Catastrophe: A Handbook of Shock-Metamorphic Effects in Terrestrial Meteorite Impact Structures” By Bevan French. LPI Contribution No. 954 • https://www.lpi.usra.edu/publications/books/CB-954/CB-954.intro.html
• Barringer Impact Crater, Arizona • https://www.barringercrater.com/the-crater