Monday, March 16, 2015

HOW BIG WOULD A METEORITE HAVE TO BE TO WIPE OUT ALL HUMAN LIFE?

SHORT ANSWER: 60 MILES WIDE, GIVE OR TAKE

INCOMING
ILLUSTRATION BY JASON SCHNEIDER
IT WOULD TAKE A REALLY BIG SPACE ROCK TO KNOCK US ALL OUT.
WHEN IT COMES TO METEORITES, THE BIGGER THEY ARE, THE MORE HAVOC THEY GENERALLY WREAK. IN 1997, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO GEOSCIENTIST BRIAN TOON AND COLLEAGUES PREDICTED THE AFTERMATH OF METEORITE IMPACTS OF VARIOUS SIZES. THEY FOUND THAT A SPACE ROCK HALF A MILE WIDE WOULD PRODUCE AN EXPLOSION THAT RELEASES THE ENERGY EQUIVALENT OF UP TO 100,000 MILLION TONS (MT) OF TNT. THAT’S ENOUGH TO CAUSE WIDESPREAD BLAST DAMAGE AND EARTHQUAKES, BUT NOTHING TOO OUT OF LINE WITH MANY NATURAL DISASTERS IN THE MODERN AGE. ONCE A COLLISION EXCEEDS THE 100,000 MT THRESHOLD, YOU’RE LOOKING AT A CATASTROPHE LARGER THAN ANY IN HUMAN HISTORY. A METEORITE A MILE IN DIAMETER MIGHT SEND ENOUGH PULVERIZED ROCK INTO THE STRATOSPHERE TO BLOCK OUT SUNLIGHT AND CAUSE GLOBAL COOLING.
THE OBJECT THAT KILLED OFF THE DINOSAURS WAS PROBABLY SEVEN OR EIGHT MILES WIDE, SAYS JAY MELOSH, A PLANETARY PHYSICIST AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY. ITS IMPACT WOULD HAVE EJECTED A DUST PLUME THAT SPREAD CLEAR AROUND THE PLANET AND RAINED BLAZING-HOT ON TO FORESTS, IGNITING THEM. “THE DINOSAURS PROBABLY BROILED TO DEATH,” HE SAYS.
SUCH A COLLISION TODAY WOULD KILL BILLIONS OF PEOPLE. THOSE WHO DIDN’T PERISH IN THE INITIAL BLAST OR THE FIRES THAT FOLLOWED WOULD FACE LONG ODDS OF FINDING SUSTENANCE. “PEOPLE ARE GOING TO STARVE TO DEATH,” TOON SAYS. STILL, A FEW WOULD LIKELY WEATHER THE APOCALYPTIC STORM. “PROBABLY SOME FISHERMEN IN COSTA RICA,” HE OFFERS. “PEOPLE NEAR THE OCEANS WHO MANAGED TO HIDE OUT AND FISH WHEN THE FIRES STARTED.”
FOR A COLLISION TO OBLITERATE THE HUMAN RACE ALTOGETHER, TOON ESTIMATES IT WOULD TAKE A 60-MILE-WIDE METEORITE. HE SAYS, “THAT WOULD INCINERATE EVERYBODY.”

Posted by at

17 comments:

  1. UnknownMarch 16, 2015 at 8:26 PM

    I think that a meteorite would have to be almost the size of the earth or bigger to wipe everyone. But hopefully that wont happen. Would a big one cause an earthquake or something if it goes through the earth?

    ReplyDelete
  2. emily lockhartMarch 17, 2015 at 8:12 AM

    I don't want a meteorite to hit earth. that would be horrible. I didn't know that a single meteorite could cause so much damage on earth. what if this were to really happen...... let's hope not. would a smaller meteorite have a big impact or would it be smaller?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Andrew JonesMarch 17, 2015 at 9:24 AM

    I am way too young to die, and to be honest so is pretty much everyone on the earth. Hopefully if this were too happen it happens way after my lifetime cause I would die in a panic before it ever hit me. I would rather this not happen at all though because the world will be only improving (hopefully) for a long time to come and the longer we hold out the better we are going to get. Still the fact that a giant space rock could destroy us all just at the size of a few miles when the earth is WAY bigger than that kind of befuddles me, I would have guessed that it would have to be way bigger than that to cause enough damage to us.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dillon SturgeonMarch 18, 2015 at 8:01 AM

    I think a meteorite would have to be bigger than the Earth to kill everyone. But i dont want that to happen. I would like to contiune my life living. Also i find it interesting that one single meteorite could do so much damage to such a big thing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lindsay CzmowskiMarch 19, 2015 at 9:23 AM

    I'm pretty passive aggresive when it comes to the end of the world. But I don't a meter to hit earth simply because I don't want all the animals to die. Other than that, I couldn't care less. This world isn't going to improve, it's only going to get worse so maybe the end of the world wouldn't be all too bad.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Kenna MorleyMarch 19, 2015 at 5:18 PM

    I think a meteorite is a horrible way to die. I would never want that to happen in my lifetime or in my children's lifetime. I hope it's super far from now. I think though that out of everything else that could cause the end of the world, a meteorite hitting is most likely.

    ReplyDelete
  7. UnknownMarch 19, 2015 at 8:11 PM

    That would be crazy for a meteorite to hit earth and take all of us out. I personally think that it will never happen in my lifetime but I guess it is very possible at any time. I agree that it would be a bad way to die though.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Stephon LeslieMarch 20, 2015 at 8:50 AM

    I think a meterorite would have to be around the same size as earth to wipe out earth. I would be very worried if this was going to happen. This would be one bad way to die.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Kaelyn OcasioMarch 20, 2015 at 9:11 AM

    its scary to think that the end of the world can come any moment. My worst fear is waiting for the end of the world because who knows how we are going to die. If a meterorite hits our earth, it would be best if it hits 60 miles away because the worst kind of deaths is the slow and painful ones. It would be best if we wouldnt really be able to feel the pain at all.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Kristina WhiteMarch 20, 2015 at 10:25 AM

    I would be scared if a meterorite hit earth. It can come at any time and I have a fear that anything can happen at any time. The meterorite would probably have to be big enough to kill everyone. I just hope this doesnt happen.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Serena GayMarch 20, 2015 at 11:16 AM

    I think one day a meterorite will hit Earth but it won't be in my lifetime. I once read that if one where to hit Earth it could be half the size of Earth and still wipe out the population. I read that the impact would be to much to handle and the people would be wiped out. I just hope it won't be in my lifetime.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dakota AdamsMarch 20, 2015 at 3:07 PM

    Thats crazy that a meterorite that little could destroy all life. I believe that one day one will hit the Earth, but not in our lifetime. I hope one never does hit us but it might

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ashley MobleyMarch 20, 2015 at 7:30 PM

    The thought of a meteorite hitting the Earth is scary. It's crazy to think that one could hit at any minute. Another scary thing about it is it can't be controlled and you would know you're about to die. I hope one that size doesn't hit at all or at least for a few more thousand years.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Maria SalazarMarch 20, 2015 at 8:43 PM

    I would be scared if a meterorite hit earth. It can come at any time.The meterorite would probably have to be big enough to kill everyone. I just hope this doesnt happen. But due to science it will happen I just hope it not soon. Or at least it doesn't happene while I'm alive .

    ReplyDelete
  15. Brandi ElliottMarch 20, 2015 at 9:26 PM

    Reading this completly terrified me. It crazy has a meterorite could kill all living things instantly. I hope this doesn't happen while im still alive if ever. This can't be controlled and you never know when it's gonna happen. It's so scary. It makes you realize you could die at any moment.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Lesly NavasMarch 20, 2015 at 9:31 PM

    I think that a meterorite found hit earth probably in the future. Even though it's scary to think that one day it will hit us, it's eventually going to happen. I don't likeep that we would die from a meteorite. It's a horrible way to die! We would boil to death like the dinosaurs.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Darius CombsMarch 20, 2015 at 10:01 PM

    I think a meteorite has to be pretty big to wipe out all life on earth. If this ever happens I hope our government finds a way to break it up in space before a it hits earth. This would be awful to experience I hope this never happens .

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)