GEOL 118 Lecture Notes - Lecture 39: Meteoroid, Igneous Rock, Carbonaceous Chondrite
11 May 2016
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Geol 118 - lecture 39 - meteorite impacts i. Origin of earth/solar system (lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere) - 4. 6 billion years ago. Earth and solar system formed by collisions of many meteorites (pieces of rock and metal) and comets (dirty ice balls) Scars from those ancient collisions (impact craters = bowl-shaped depressions produced from meteorite collision) are still clearly visible on moon, but far fewer impact craters on. Earth impact craters erased over time due to dynamic nature of earth. Meteorites from other planets (mars) help us understand their nature. Role in evolution and origin of life - meteorite impacts helped to cause at least one mass extinction during earth history. Some meteorites contain protein-related amino acids, building blocks of life. Potentially catastrophic natural disaster- meteorite impacts could produce worst natural disaster of all, causing mass extinction of many organisms including human beings. Meteorite = piece of rock or metal that has collided with earth.
