General Discussion

PADemD

(4,482 posts) Fri Apr 11, 2014, 10:49 AM Apr 2014

The Earth Shook for a Half Hour

Around 3.26 billion years ago — long before the dinosaurs — a massive asteroid measuring nearly 36 miles (58 km) across smashed into the Earth. Geologists have now reconstructed this cataclysmic event, and it was far, far bigger than we thought. Here's how things went down on that fateful day.

Thanks to geophysicists Norm Sleep and Don Lowe, here's what we now know.

This Ancient Asteroid Strike Was More Insane Than We Realized
by George Dvorsky
http://io9.com/insane-details-are-emerging-about-ancient-asteroid-stri-1561730259

19 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

The Earth Shook for a Half Hour (Original Post) PADemD Apr 2014 OP

Heavy Stuff, Sir The Magistrate Apr 2014 #1

It's Ma'am PADemD Apr 2014 #2

And on a long enough timeline, it'll happen again. AtheistCrusader Apr 2014 #3

I've often wondered why all the fossil fuels are so concentrated dickthegrouch Apr 2014 #4

This site might provide some answers. Enthusiast Apr 2014 #19

sooner or later MrNJ Apr 2014 #5

I read somewhere in a science article that after that huge crater impact on the moon roguevalley Apr 2014 #6

I wonder if this caused the tilt in the axis. Spitfire of ATJ Apr 2014 #7

self delete Codeine Apr 2014 #12

It wasn't a Nazi thing. Spitfire of ATJ Apr 2014 #14

I saw something about that in the "Big History" series on the History Channel recently. calimary Apr 2014 #17

Craters on Moon from same Late Heavy Bombardment period. ErikJ Apr 2014 #8

I love this vid on it.... Spitfire of ATJ Apr 2014 #13

Fascinating lark Apr 2014 #9

Cool stuff greytdemocrat Apr 2014 #10

L! H! B! MisterP Apr 2014 #11

"The Earth Shook For A Half Hour" Motown_Johnny Apr 2014 #15

ROFL!!!!!!! calimary Apr 2014 #18

Norm Sleep is a pretty cool name. cyberswede Apr 2014 #16

The Magistrate

(95,247 posts)

1. Heavy Stuff, Sir

Reply to PADemD (Original post)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 10:55 AM

Apr 2014

Damn....

PADemD

(4,482 posts)

2. It's Ma'am

Reply to The Magistrate (Reply #1)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 11:04 AM

Apr 2014

Scary!

10.8+ Richter and world-wide Tsunami

AtheistCrusader

(33,982 posts)

3. And on a long enough timeline, it'll happen again.

Reply to PADemD (Reply #2)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 12:03 PM

Apr 2014

dickthegrouch

(3,174 posts)

4. I've often wondered why all the fossil fuels are so concentrated

Reply to PADemD (Original post)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 12:59 PM

Apr 2014

This could help explain why oil, coal and gas are in such massive concentrations in certain places and none in others. If those hydrocarbons all came from existing plant life in what was previously landmass that was inundated by tsunami and then broken apart by changes in tectonic movement, that explains a lot.

I'd love to see the known oil fields mapped against what we think the landmass looked like when it was all one mass. We might even be able to posit more areas for exploration with such a mapping.

Enthusiast

(50,983 posts)

19. This site might provide some answers.

Reply to dickthegrouch (Reply #4)

Sat Apr 12, 2014, 05:59 AM

Apr 2014

http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/

Most of these concentrations occurred during what we call the carboniferous period. Much of the earth's landmass and shallow seas were concentrated around the equator. These conditions favored the development of massive swampy regions full of plant and animal life.

http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/prehistoric-world/carboniferous/

http://palaeos.com/paleozoic/carboniferous/carboniferous.htm

MrNJ

(200 posts)

5. sooner or later

Reply to PADemD (Original post)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 01:33 PM

Apr 2014

but it will happen again.

roguevalley

(40,656 posts)

6. I read somewhere in a science article that after that huge crater impact on the moon

Reply to PADemD (Original post)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 01:45 PM

Apr 2014

it rang like a bell. I read that it still does all these zillion years later. I love science.

Spitfire of ATJ

(32,723 posts)

7. I wonder if this caused the tilt in the axis.

Reply to PADemD (Original post)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 01:46 PM

Apr 2014

Codeine

(25,586 posts)

12. self delete

Reply to Spitfire of ATJ (Reply #7)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 02:36 PM

Apr 2014

misread. sorry

Spitfire of ATJ

(32,723 posts)

14. It wasn't a Nazi thing.

Reply to Codeine (Reply #12)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 04:32 PM

Apr 2014

calimary

(81,300 posts)

17. I saw something about that in the "Big History" series on the History Channel recently.

Reply to Spitfire of ATJ (Reply #7)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 05:40 PM

Apr 2014

And that's what they postulated in one of its episodes.

It is/was a series narrated by Bryan Cranston (LOOK, kids! The "Breaking Bad" guy!) and just a flat-out WUNNNNNNNderful series, an utterly exquisitely perfect companion to the current Neil deGrasse Tyson "Cosmos" series. It was FUCKING WUNNNNNNNNNderful!!!!!!! I was transfixed. Just BRILLIANT!!! I hope they release it as a series of videos, 'cause I'm buying it whenever it becomes available.

"Big History" - HIGHLY recommended!!!!!!

ErikJ

(6,335 posts)

8. Craters on Moon from same Late Heavy Bombardment period.

Reply to PADemD (Original post)

Fri Apr 11, 2014, 01:50 PM

Apr 2014

Late Heavy Bombardment period

About 4 to 3.8 billion years ago a period of intense comet and asteroid bombardment is thought to have peppered all the planets including the Earth. Many of the numerous craters found on the Moon and other bodies in the Solar System record this event.
One theory holds that a gravitational surge caused by the orbital interaction of Jupiter and Saturn sent Neptune careening into the ring of comets in the outer Solar System. The disrupted comets were sent in all directions and collided with the planets. These water-rich objects may have provided much of the water in the Earth's oceans.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/earth/earth_timeline/late_heavy_bombardment