It has played an important role in earths history, shaping the geological landscape, affecting the evolution of life, and generating economic resources. Oxford monographs on geology and geophysics series no. A history of controversy audeliz matias department of geosciences, skidmore college, 815 north broadway saratoga springs, ny 128661632. This is nearly 30 years ago, and since then it has possibly become the most referred quotation in the impact research literature, although meteorite impacts, impact cratering and impact geology have remained a closed book to. Research interests ramifications of impact cratering, planetary tectonics, and the physics of earthquakes and landslides awards and honors. Modeling impact cratering in layered surfaces senft.
Galileo recognized the raised rims and central peaks of these features, but described them. Impact cratering in the solar system michelle kirchoff lunar and planetary institute. The contact and compression stage of impact cratering. Melosh outlines landmark events in the history of impact cratering and. While the impact process is conceptually easy to visualize, the detailed quantitative description of the mechanics has been difficult and illusive e. Melosh the deep impact cratering experiment on comet 9p temple 1. This major study of crater morphology examines the physics of impact cratering, the geologic processes associated with it, and its role in planetary evolution.
Orientale basin is a major impact crater on the moon, which is hard to see from earth because it is right on the western edge of the lunar nearside. It may seem incredible that 50 years of study of the impact cratering process have not resulted in a predictive, quantitative model of crater formation. This approach is based on the maxwell zmodel maxwell, 1977 and the residual velocity melosh, 1985. Impact cratering is an important and unique geologic process.
The high speeds, forces and temperatures involved are quite unlike conventional endogenic processes, and the environmental consequences can be catastrophic. Planetary surface processes cambridge planetary science. Lunar and planetary laboratory, university of arizona, tucson, az 85721. Formation of impact craters lunar and planetary institute. Terrestrial impact structuresprincipal characteristics and energy considerations. Impact cratering research and the diagnostic evidences of. The impact cratering record on earth offers the only groundtruth for the interpretation of planetary datasets and samples and, currently, provides the only opportunity for conducting field geological and geophysical studies. Impact cratering the dominant surface features of the moon are approximately circular depressions, which may be designated by the general term craters solution of the origin of the lunar craters is fundamental to the unraveling of the history of the moon and may shed much light on the history of the terrestrial planets as well. His recent research includes studies of the giant impact. Oct 28, 2016 orientale basin is a major impact crater on the moon, which is hard to see from earth because it is right on the western edge of the lunar nearside. Revised november 16, 1999 hydrocode modeling is a fundamental tool for the study of melt.
Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, 2 impact craters typically have raised rims and floors that. Jay melosh and others published the contact and compression stage of impact cratering find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. The final crater morphology produced by an impact event is determined by a number of properties, including gravity, the size and velocity of the impactor, and the material properties of both the target and the. In the explanation of terrestrial craterlike structures, the interpretation as volcanic features and related structures such as calderas, maars, cinder cones has traditionally dominatedoverimpactrelatedinterpretations. Shoemaker once said, i submit that impacts of solid bodies is the most fundamental of all processes that have taken place on the terrestrial planets. Sections are divided into fundamental processes, and each chapter is as self contained as possible. Melosh this major study of crater morphology examines the physics of impact cratering, the geologic processes associated with it, and its role in planetary evolution. Proceedings of the symposium on planetary cratering mechanics, flagstaff, arizona a7844030 1991, pergamon press, new york, inc. Melosh outlines landmark events in the history of impact cratering and places modern developments in historical perspective.
Impact cratering in the solar system michelle kirchoff lunar and planetary institute university of houston clear lake physics seminar march 24, 2008. Formation of the orientale lunar multiring basin science. The high speeds, forces and temperatures involved are quite unlike conventional endogenic processes, and the environmental. The impactcratering process elements geoscienceworld. Impact cratering research and the diagnostic evidences of impact introduction. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Impact cratering is arguably the most ubiquitous geological process in the solar system. The discovery and study of structures caused by collision of extraterrestrial objects with the earth has had a history.
Melosh lunar and planetary laboratory, the university of arizona, 1629 east university boulevard, tucson arizona 85721 email. Melosh published his book impact cratering a geologic process. Impact cratering refers to the formation of a crater immediately after impact of a projectile on the soil surface. One cannot better emphasize the importance of impact cratering research than what eugene m. Cratering mechanics observational, experimental, and theoretical. Impacts at typical planetary encounter velocities, more than a few kms, are fundamentally different from the lowspeed impacts of everyday experience. Azuara impact structure spain comprehensive article on one of the biggest, most attractive and scientifically most instructive impact ejecta deposits worldwide pdf article, 81 p. The mechanisms involved in the formation of impact craters are examined. He earned a degree in physics from princeton university and a doctoral degree in physics and geology from caltech in 1972.
Upon contact of an extraterrestrial projectile with the target surface, shock waves. A brief introduction to hydrocode modeling of impact cratering. Course work will include a handson exercise in impact modeling using numerical methods. H j melosh this major study of crater morphology examines the physics of impact cratering, the geologic processes associated with it, and its role in planetary evolution. Melosh terrestrial craters until the transient crater diameter exceeds about km. The fact that no such model yet exists, despite many attempts by many authors, indicates that we are still missing major pieces to the puzzle of how rocks. Since important impact structures exist on our planet as well as on bodies in the solar system, this valuable contribution will serve as a vital reference in the diverse fields of geology, paleontology and planetary science. Modeling impact cratering in layered surfaces senft 2007. Impact cratering research and the diagnostic evidences of impact. While there are quite a number of unknowns about the comet, many of the questions about cratering center on the comets density, porosity, and strength. Fresh impact craters on all the terrestrial planets are typically surrounded by a continuous ejecta blanket that extends approxi mately one to two crater radii beyond the crater rim melosh. Pdf impact cratering is an important and unique geologic process. The observed reentry splash of the sl9 impactinduced plumes that reimpact jupiter boslough et.
Relatively undisturbed by later events, orientale serves as a prototype for understanding large impact craters throughout the solar system. However, it was only in the latter half of the 20th century that the importance of impact cratering as a geological process was recognized and only. Introduction 2 impact cratering is a major geologic process that has shaped the surfaces of almost all of the terrestrial planets and satellites. Impact cratering and flood basalt volcanism nature. Understanding secondary cratering is important to assessing regolith formation, rock distributions, and impact hazards on bodies that lack thick atmospheres, and. The mars global surveyor mars orbiter camera has acquired data that establish the presentday impact cratering rate and document new deposits formed by downslope movement of material in midlatitude gullies on mars. In particular, processes like meltingvaporization and crater collapse, typical of planetaryscale impacts, are not reproduced in the laboratory, and can only be investigated by numerical modeling. Jay melosh born june 23, 1947 is an american geophysicist specialising in impact cratering. Artemeiva2 and elisabetta pierazzo3 1lunar and planetary laboratory, university of arizona, tucson, az, u. Melosh is impeccably organized, making it a treat to teach from and to learn from, although it is not so much of a reference text as it is an exposition. Presentday impact cratering rate and contemporary gully. For an important class of cratering events, asteroid impact on granular media, the process can be divided into three stages melosh, 1989. Melosh, describing his work for the deep impact mission. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact craters typically have raised rims and floors that are lower in elevation than the surrounding terrain.
Theimportance of impact cratering on terrestrial planets mercury. The impact cratering process very detailed accounts of the impact cratering process and the three main stages compression, excavation, and modification are provided by e. Meloshs research interests include impact craters, planetary tectonics, and the physics of earthquakes and landslides. Here, we propose an alternative, fully analytical method to predict impact outcomes, including the ejection velocity distribution and transient crater radii, based on impact cratering mechanics. Twenty impacts created craters 2 to 150 meters in diameter within an area of 21. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. The final crater morphology produced by an impact event is determined by a number of properties, including gravity, the size and velocity of the impactor, and the material properties of both the target and the impactor. Impact cratering wiley online books wiley online library.
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