Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Earth impact calculator

This is pretty cool... check this out:
The Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona has a site that computes the effect of an impact on earth. You can feed in the size of the projectile and other parameters such as the impact angle, impact velocity etc and it gives a complete analysis of the resulting effects on earth. Very geeky and very interesting! Via: Anil's Doublespeak
I tried it out and didn't survive:
Your Inputs: Distance from Impact: 4830.00 km = 2999.43 miles Projectile Diameter: 100000.00 m = 328000.00 ft = 62.10 miles Projectile Density: 8000 kg/m3 Impact Velocity: 24.00 km/s = 14.90 miles/s Impact Angle: 45 degrees Target Density: 2750 kg/m3 Target Type: Crystalline Rock Energy: Energy before atmospheric entry: 1.21 x 1027 Joules = 2.88 x 1011 MegaTons TNT The average interval between impacts of this size is longer than the Earth's age. Such impacts could only occur during the accumulation of the Earth, between 4.5 and 4 billion years ago. Major Global Changes: The Earth is not strongly disturbed by the impact and loses negligible mass. The impact does not make a noticeable change in the Earth's rotation period or the tilt of its axis. The impact does not shift the Earth's orbit noticeably. Crater Dimensions: Transient Crater Diameter: 601 km = 373 miles Transient Crater Depth: 212 km = 132 miles Final Crater Diameter: 1390 km = 862 miles Final Crater Depth: 2.61 km = 1.62 miles The crater formed is a complex crater. The volume of the target melted or vaporized is 7.59e+06 km3 = 1.82e+06 miles3 Roughly half the melt remains in the crater , where its average thickness is 26.8 km = 16.6 miles Thermal Radiation: Time for maximum radiation: 88.7 seconds after impact Visible fireball radius: 384 km = 238 miles The fireball appears 18.1 times larger than the sun Thermal Exposure: 2.21 x 108 Joules/m2 Duration of Irradiation: 2770 seconds Radiant flux (relative to the sun): 79.8 Effects of Thermal Radiation: Clothing ignites Much of the body suffers third degree burns Newspaper ignites Plywood flames Deciduous trees ignite Grass ignites
At this point you are near death...
Seismic Effects: The major seismic shaking will arrive at approximately 966 seconds. Richter Scale Magnitude: 12.3 (This is greater than any earthquake in recorded history) Mercalli Scale Intensity at a distance of 4830 km: VI. Felt by all, many frightened. Some heavy furniture moved; a few instances of fallen plaster. Damage slight. VII. Damage negligible in buildings of good design and construction; slight to moderate in well-built ordinary structures; considerable damage in poorly built or badly designed structures; some chimneys broken.
You may still be alive if you haven't been crushed...
Ejecta: The ejecta will arrive approximately 1520 seconds after the impact. Average Ejecta Thickness: 10.3 m = 33.8 ft Mean Fragment Diameter: 350 micrometers = 13.8 1/1000 of an inch
Once again you may still be alive if you haven't been crushed...
Air Blast: The air blast will arrive at approximately 14600 seconds. Peak Overpressure: 1.41e+06 Pa = 14.1 bars = 200 psi Max wind velocity: 919 m/s = 2060 mph Sound Intensity: 123 dB (Dangerously Loud) Damage Description: Multistory wall-bearing buildings will collapse. Wood frame buildings will almost completely collapse. Multistory steel-framed office-type buildings will suffer extreme frame distortion, incipient collapse. Highway truss bridges will collapse. Highway girder bridges will collapse. Glass windows will shatter. Cars and trucks will be largely displaced and grossly distorted and will require rebuilding before use. Up to 90 percent of trees blown down; remainder stripped of branches and leaves.
Now you're dead if you weren't already!

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