Comet and Asteroid Impact Hazards on a Populated Earth: Computer Modeling / Edition 1

Comet and Asteroid Impact Hazards on a Populated Earth: Computer Modeling / Edition 1

by John S. Lewis
Comet and Asteroid Impact Hazards on a Populated Earth: Computer Modeling / Edition 1
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ISBN-10:
0124467601
ISBN-13:
9780124467606
Pub. Date:
09/01/1999
Publisher:
Elsevier Science
ISBN-10:
0124467601
ISBN-13:
9780124467606
Pub. Date:
09/01/1999
Publisher:
Elsevier Science
Comet and Asteroid Impact Hazards on a Populated Earth: Computer Modeling / Edition 1

Comet and Asteroid Impact Hazards on a Populated Earth: Computer Modeling / Edition 1

by John S. Lewis

Overview

Comet and Asteroid Impact Hazards explores the anticipated consequences of comet and asteroid impact. It presents the first computer simulations of the hazards of comet and asteroid bombardment of a populated Earth. Previous estimates of fatality and damage rates on the 100 to 10,000 year time scale are shown to be too low because they neglect rare, highly lethal outriders of the populations of bombarding objects, those with exceptional strength, unusually low entry velocity, and near-horizontal entry angles. This is the first realistic assessment of both the mean casualty rate and the expected statistical fluctuations in that rate. A breakdown of fatality and damage rates by impactor energy and compositional class suggests lessons for both asteroid search strategies and interdiction techniques.
This book is written so that anyone with college level experience in the physical sciences can understand it. It includes a disk that allows the reader to simulate impact catastrophes. It serves as a useful resource in various physical sciences courses such as astronomy, planetary science, and environmental science.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780124467606
Publisher: Elsevier Science
Publication date: 09/01/1999
Edition description: BOOK&DISK
Pages: 200
Product dimensions: 0.51(w) x 6.00(h) x 9.00(d)

About the Author

John S. Lewis is Professor of Planetary Sciences and Co-Director of the Space Engineering Research Center of the University of Arizona, has concentrated in recent years on the material and energy resources of nearby space and on the hazards and opportunities presented to mankind by the Near-Earth Asteroids. He is a former Professor of Planetary Sciences and Chemistry at MIT and a Visiting Professor at Cal Tech. He has served as Chairman of a number of international conferences on space science and space development. His contributions to planetary science include the first prediction of coloring matter in the atmosphere of Jupiter. He is also the author of several popular science books, including Rain of Iron and Ice, a popular account of the impact hazard, and Mining the Sky, a survey of resource opportunities in space and their relevance to economic, resource, and environmental issues on Earth. He is also the editor of a 1000-page technical volume, Resources of Near-Earth Space. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of American Rocket Company, and is presently an advisor to the Space Development Corporation's Near-Earth Asteroid Prospector (NEAP) mission.

Read an Excerpt

Of all the natural hazards facing Earth, impacts are the most dangerous. Unlike native hazards of Earth's surface, impacts know no size limit. Their effects can be devastating over the entire surface area of our planet. They are the only credible natural threat to human civilization. But impacts, especially those of large bodies, are both predictable and avoidable. The NEO population constitutes both an unprecedented hazard and an unparalleled opportunity. It is sometimes said that there is a fine line that separates a threat from an opportunity. The near-Earth asteroids present us with just this dilemma. They present us with an intelligence test of the highest order, with the highest possible stakes for the future of the human race.

Table of Contents

Preface.Introduction. The Impact Flux. The Impactor. The Impact Process. The Target. Method of Calculation. Results. Implications for Hazard Assessment and Abatement. Areas Requiring Further Study. Conclusions. References. Appendix A: Program HAZARDS Version 5.5 Owner's Manual. Appendix B: Program HAZARDS Version 5.5 Program Listing. Appendix C: Program HAZARDS Version 5.5 Sample Output. References. Index.
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Related Subjects

Computers
Computer Programming
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Simulation & Modeling - Software Engineering
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Computers
Computer Programming
Software Engineering
Simulation & Modeling - Software Engineering
Asteroids->Collisions with Earth->Computer simulation
Comets->Collisions with Earth->Computer simulation

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