Due:
1. Go to the website http://gdcinfo.agg.emr.ca/crater/index_e.html to find extensive information on impact craters found on the Earth. This is also a nice reference, solarviews.com/eng/tercrate.htm.
2. The diameter of the crater and the size for the impacting asteroid are given in the Table below for the following craters: Chicxulub (the event which led to the extinction of the dinosaurs), the Barringer crater (the most recent large crater), Ries crater in Germany, and a small crater recently discovered in Russia. Plot these values on the graph below and draw a smooth curve through the points.
Crater |
Crater Diameter |
Asteroid Diameter |
Crater Age |
Chicxulub |
170 km |
2 km |
65 Myrs |
Barringer |
1.2 km |
60 m |
49,000 yrs |
Ries |
22-24 km |
0.5-1 km |
15 Myrs |
Manicouagan |
km |
km |
212 Myrs |
Aorounga |
km |
km |
200 Myrs |
Little Guy in Russia |
10 m |
1 m |
8 yrs |
Steinheim |
2.5 km |
m |
15 Myrs |
3. Complete the above table using the websites given in part 1 and your plot. What are the approximate sizes for impact craters produced by asteroids with size 10 m and 20 km?