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Thread: Asteroid Impact Damage?

  1. #1
    Stegodon
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    Feb 2009
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    Default Asteroid Impact Damage?

    Lunch conversation today included a brief discussion of the asteroid that narrowly missed the Earth on Monday. One of my co-workers was saying that it would cause more damage if it hit solid ground rather than one of the oceans, but I seem to remember reading that the opposite was actually the case. Of course, I can't remember where I read that, so I'm hoping that someone here either knows or can point me in the right direction to cites.

  2. #2
    Maximum Proconsul silenus's avatar
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    Feb 2009
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    Default Re: Asteroid Impact Damage?

    I seem to recall the same thing: water impact more devestating. In addition to being quite a bit more likely as well.

    There are several impact calculators available online, but so far none of them are capable of tsunami data.

    This paper, however, seems to say otherwise.
    "The Turtle Moves!"

  3. #3
    Elephant
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    Feb 2009
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    Default Re: Asteroid Impact Damage?

    It should be noted that for asteroids of sufficient size, striking even the deep ocean is identical to striking dry land, with added tsunami-y goodness. These superheavyweights, several miles across, simply punch through, pushing the water aside as if it weren't even there to gouge into the bedrock below.

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