Impact Craters
Space is frequently referred to as the final frontier due to the fact that much of it is yet to be studied. If society is able to explore the vast expanse of space it will most definitely reveal possibly thousands of previously unknown ideas, theories, and technologies. Even though much of space is unexplored and unstudied, certain fields of study are easier to investigate and analyze, providing society with a sizeable amount of information. One such area of study that is relatively accessible and that is able to be analyzed, yielding results, is the occurrence of impact craters on planets, including Earth, or other masses located in space. These craters occur when an object crashes into a planet or other forms in space,
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and creates an indent on the surface. The size and type of the crater can differ depending on multiple different factors. Most impacts are identified by their size and shape, otherwise known as their morphology, or other more complex classifications can be used depending on the surface the crater was formed on. Impact craters have also been found to be important for the development of Earth, although their complete beginning is not known to scientist. Although impact craters do not seem to be a complicated matter, it is still important to recognize how and when they were discovered, how they are identified, and consequentially how they affect Earth. Four hundred years ago, the first study of impact craters arose.
This began when the Italian astronomer Galileo looked at the moon through a telescope and saw circular forms covering the moon’s surface. After observing the movement of shadows he determined that these features were indents on the surface, rather than mountains. Following this discovery, in 1610 Galileo published Sidereus Nuncius, also known as The Starry Messenger, which showed the first drawings of impact craters (Gaz 9) While Galileo did not have any opinion on how the craters were formed, other scientist did. Most followed the theory that they were formed by volcanic activity, as it was most common on Earth. The first scientist to speculate that the depressions were made by an impact was the British physicist Robert Hooke. He conducted an experiment that included him dropping objects into mud, creating craters similar to those on Earth. Unfortunately, during the time of these experiments, it was believed that space contained of only eight objects, and the rest was empty (Gaz 9). At the time, astronomers knew only of the sun, moon, and the planets Earth, Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Any other planets or asteroids were thought to have existed. Meteorites only began their believed existence after a meteorite shower came down on the town of L’Aigle, France in 1803. Following this event, a French astronomer known as Jean-Baptiste Biot explained how these rocks must have been of …show more content…
celestial origin (Gaz 9). Even after this discovery, many scientist still believed that the craters were from volcanic sources. Scientist like Grove Karl Gilbert and Alfred Wegener both studied and wrote about the impact hypothesis, but still both scientist ideas were largely ignored (Gaz 10). The key changing point of the impact theory occurred at Crater Mountain in Arizona.
Here, a crater was found with a large content of iron surrounding the area. Because of this and the fact that there was nearby volcanoes, the crater was thought to be because of volcanoes. However, mining engineer Daniel Moreau Barringer thought otherwise. He believed that the indent was caused by a large mass of iron colliding with Earth’s surface, which was interred underneath the crater itself. He found that although there was no large, solid mass of iron underneath, there was breccia, which consist of other rocks in itself (Gaz 11). This breccia contained mostly of iron and nickel and was formed in an unorderly fashion rather than a layered one. Unfortunately, even with this experiment scientist still were not convinced. Even with the endless experiment laid out by scientist before, the impact theory remained unlikely by most scientist until man first step on the moon. After this, it was determined that any craters that could be soon from Earth were from impact and the idea that the moon had not been subjected to processes from volcanoes like thought before (Gaz 12). Today, most scientist realize the fact that impact is one of the most common act that has shaped Earth today (Gaz
13).
Ultimately the development of previous inferences and observations which have developed our current model for the Earth’s composition and interior structure are a key concept in understanding our future developments towards resourcing our planet and understanding how it works to a further degree.
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The Nevada Test Site is an area designated by the United States Government for Nuclear Weapons testing. It is located in rural southern Nevada and is about the size of the State of Rhode Island. This location was founded in 1952 as one of 5 on land sites designated for this task. Above ground nuclear or atmospheric testing was conducted at the Nevada Test Site until 1958. There was a break in testing until the United States decided to begin underground testing in 1962. There were a total of 828 nuclear tests performed underground during these years. In 1963 a limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed by the United States that limited above ground tests world wide. These underground tests were performed until 1992, and nuclear testing in the United States seized all together in 1994 when the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed. The majority of the testing was conducted to further the efforts of the Cold War, as well as, to further general understanding of the effects and results of nuclear testing. This paper will discuss the history, geological aspects, and impacts of the Nevada Test Site on this and surrounding areas of Nevada.
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Technology Is What You Make It The articles “How Computers Change the Way We Think” by Sherry Turkle and “Electronic Intimacy” by Christine Rosen argue that technology is quite damaging to society as a whole and that even though it can at times be helpful it is more damaging. I have to agree and disagree with this because it really just depends on how it is used and it can damage or help the user. The progressing changes in technology, like social media, can both push us, as a society, further and closer to and from each other and personal connections because it has become a tool that can be manipulated to help or hurt our relationships and us as human beings who are capable of more with and without technology. Technology makes things more efficient and instantaneous.
This explosion scatters different elements and stardust across the universe which now makes up planets such as Earth.
Indicate the pressure sites in the earth's crust; the volcanic sites consistent with the pressure sites in the cortex where there are significant cracks and deep.
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There are five basic theories in the formation of our moon. The first is the "fission theory" which states that the moon was once a part of earth, but separated a long time ago. The second theory is called the "capture theory". This theory is says that the moon formed somewhere else, and was "captured" by earths gravitational pull. The third theory is called the "condensation theory" this theory states that the moon and earth were condemned together from the original nebula that formed our solar system. The fourth theory called the "Colliding Planetesimals Theory" states that the interaction between the earth orbiting the sun, and the sun orbiting planetesimals, which are large Astroid like rocks, led to the breakup and formation of our moon from the debris of these planetesimals. The fifth and final theory is called ...
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