A1_2_ Meteoritic Collisions

Abstract

The relationship between the size of a meteorite impact crater and the energy of the meteorite is known to be  where D is the diameter of the crater and E the meteorite energy (Thomas, JST. 2008). Here the exact relationship is investigated along with the consequences of varying meteorite density on the destruction caused. Meteorite densities vary from 8000kg/m3 (iron based) to 1000kg/m3 (ice based) but most of the meteorites which make it to Earth have a density of approximately 3400kg/ m3 (dense rock). It is concluded that the meteorite which caused extinction of the dinosaurs was most likely composed of dense rock, given the energy of a meteorite this size.