CauseEffectarticleonExtraterrestrialImpacts-PrismNet.docVIP

EXTRATERRESTRIAL IMPACTS Extraterrestrial impacts refer to asteroids and comets striking the earth’s surface intact. Historical evidence of impacts, such as the one that extinguished the dinosaurs 65 million years ago and drove 70% of all species into extinction or the catastrophe at the end of the Permian (245 million years ago) where over 90% of all species were snuffed out in a moment of time clearly demonstrate their incredible world wide destructive power. Their potential devastation to modern day civilizations is no less dangerous, and merits a closer inspection of the effects of such an occurence. For simplicity only the effects of a 1 to 2 kilometer impact is discussed since the danger from smaller impacts is considerably less and the danger from larger impacts is total extinction. The affects on both the atmosphere and surface of the earth are examined in the following. HISTORY Gasses condensing out of the early Solar System not only created the planets but literally millions of much smaller bodies commonly refered to as planetesimals or minor planets. We know these objects from common literture as Asteroids and Comets. Though fundamentally different in composition both orbit the sun in unstable elliptical orbits that are often perturbed by the gravitational interaction from the larger planets and when they collide with other planetesimals. As the Solar System evolved the bulk of these planetesimals were either swept up by the planets in a barage of impacts, or ejected from the Solar System. Those that remain, however, pose a serious threat to the stability of the Earth and life as we know it. Statistical analysis of historical records seem to indicate a major impact of a 1-kilometer asteroid on Earth about once every 100,000 years. Depending on where it struck, an impact of this latitude would easily devastate much of life as we know it. Anything larger, in the 2 to 10 kilometer range, would decimate Civilization everywhere on the Planet. Anything abov