Chixulub impact explosion

From: Diane Roy (Dianeroy@peoplepc.com)
Date: Wed Aug 02 2000 - 02:43:14 EDT

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    glenn morton mortongr@flash.net said:
    The Chixulub impact explosion generated 1 billion megatons or 4.2 x 10^24 joules.

    How was this energy distributed?
    How much of this energy was used to blast a hole in the atmosphere?
    How big was the hole blasted in the atmosphere?
    How much of this energy went directly into space through this hole in the atmosphere?
    How much energy went with the fire ball as it rocketed into space through the hole in the atmosphere?
    How much energy was absorbed by how much of the atmosphere due to the bright flash?
    How much of the energy was used to atomize how much liquid water?
    How much of the energy was used to evaporate how much liquid water?
    How much energy was used to eject how much liquid water above and into the atmosphere?
    How much energy was absorbed by what quantity of water in the region around the blast zone?
    How much energy was used to vaporize how much rock?
    How much energy was used to melt how much rock?
    How much energy was used to eject melted rock away from the blast site?
    How much energy was used to fracture the surrounding rock?
    How much energy was used to eject fractured rock away from the blast zone?

    Each of these points will reduce the overall effect of the blast and must be taken into account.

    But let's suppose that the entire amount of energy is absorbed and placed in storage in the oceans. As calculated before, the amount of energy to raise the average temperature of the oceans to 30 deg. C is about 1.50e+27 joules. Thus the oceans could absorb the energy of 357 impacts the size of Chixulub at 4.2e+24 joules. And given 500 years to dissipate that energy in Oard's Ice Age, temperature rise will not be a problem.


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