Speaker
Description
Near-Earth object (NEO) impacts pose a significant risk to the Earth, with potential consequences ranging from localized destruction to global-scale environmental disruptions. A critical aspect of NEO consequences is the vapor and ejecta distribution, which can cause environmental consequences far from the impact site and even globally due to atmospheric effects. Using a suite of 2D and 3D numerical hydrocode impact simulations, we investigate how the volume and composition of vapor and ejecta during NEO impacts depends on impactor properties (size, velocity, composition) and the Earth’s surface materials (continental crust, oceanic water, or mixed targets). We utilize new equations of state and the newly updated ROCK strength model in the CTH hydrocode, and test how strength parameters affect model results. We examine a range of impact parameters and determine the dispersal pattern of ejecta and the amount of material deposited into the Earth’s atmosphere. We examine both impacts where the projectile penetrates the Earth’s atmosphere and impacts the surface, and impacts where the projectile burns up within the atmosphere. Our results will provide insight into the far-field and localized/global atmospheric effects of NEO impacts, which is critical for improving predictions of environmental and societal risks posed by potential NEO collisions.