Deep Impact: Meteorite Impact Quiz

Barringer Crater (also known as Meteor Crater) is the correct answer. It was formed about 50,000 years ago by an iron-nickel meteorite. Because it is located in a dry desert climate, it has not eroded significantly, making it a primary site for scientists to study how impact energy reshapes a planet's surface and compresses rock layers.

True. Unlike the Moon, which has no atmosphere or geological activity, Earth is a dynamic planet. Processes such as wind and water erosion, volcanic activity, and the movement of tectonic plates constantly recycle the crust. This is why we see fewer visible craters on Earth compared to the heavily cratered surfaces of the Moon or Mercury.

The Chicxulub crater is the correct answer. This massive structure, roughly 150 kilometers wide, was formed by an asteroid impact approximately 66 million years ago. Scientists have linked this specific event to the mass extinction of the dinosaurs, as the impact released enough energy to cause global climate shifts and devastating environmental changes.

A raised rim, a central peak, and an ejecta blanket are the correct answers. When a meteorite hits, the energy of the explosion pushes material outward, forming a rim and a surrounding blanket of debris. In very large impacts, the ground "rebounds" in the center due to intense pressure, creating a central peak similar to a splash in water.

The kinetic energy is converted into a massive explosion is the correct answer. Meteorites travel at tens of thousands of miles per hour. When they strike the solid ground, their motion stops instantly, and that energy is released as heat and shockwaves. This explosion vaporizes the meteorite and blasts out a hole many times the size of the original rock.

True. Shocked quartz is a definitive indicator of an impact event. Under the extreme, sudden pressure of a collision, the internal structure of quartz crystals is permanently deformed into distinct parallel lines. Geologists look for this "shocked" mineral in rock layers to confirm that a circular geological feature was actually caused by a meteorite.

A bolide is the correct answer. Sometimes the pressure of the air against a fast-moving meteoroid is so great that the rock shatters into many pieces mid-air. This creates a powerful shockwave and a bright flash. While it may not leave a single large crater, the resulting "airburst" can still cause significant damage to the environment below.

Ejecta is the correct answer. This term refers to the soil and rock debris that is thrown out of the impact site. Ejecta can travel for hundreds of miles depending on the size of the collision. By studying the "ejecta blanket" around a crater, scientists can determine the age of the impact and the composition of the target ground.

Worldwide forest fires, massive tsunamis, and a nuclear winter are the correct answers. A large impact releases enough heat to ignite plants thousands of miles away. Dust and soot thrown into the atmosphere can block sunlight for years, stopping photosynthesis and cooling the planet. However, an asteroid is far too small to affect the Moon's stable orbit.

Tektites are the correct answer. These are small, dark, gravel-sized pieces of natural glass. They form when the heat of an impact melts the local sand or soil and ejects it high into the air. As the liquid droplets fall back to Earth, they cool and harden into aerodynamic shapes, serving as evidence of a nearby impact.

True. The Chesapeake Bay impact crater is one of the largest and best-preserved "wet-target" craters in the world. Formed about 35 million years ago, the impact created a massive hole that influenced the shape of the coastline and the flow of rivers in the region. Most of the crater is now buried under sediment and water.

The Torino (or Turin) scale is the correct answer. This scale uses a 0 to 10 rating system to communicate the likelihood and potential damage of a predicted "Near-Earth Object" (NEO). A rating of 0 means the object has no chance of hitting, while a 10 indicates a certain collision capable of causing a global climatic catastrophe.

A massive airburst flattened 80 million trees is the correct answer. Because the object (likely a comet or stony meteoroid) exploded several miles above the ground, it did not leave a traditional impact crater. However, the resulting pressure wave was powerful enough to level a vast forest and was detected by barometers as far away as London.

Hidden by water/sediment and tectonic subduction are the correct answers. While 70% of impacts happen in the ocean, the water and shifting sand quickly hide the evidence. Furthermore, the ocean floor is constantly being recycled back into Earth's interior through plate tectonics, erasing old craters much faster than they are erased on the more stable continental landmasses.

A thin layer of iridium-rich clay is the correct answer. Iridium is rare on Earth's surface but common in asteroids. This global layer of clay marks the exact time of the Chicxulub impact 66 million years ago. It separates the age of the dinosaurs from the age of mammals, providing a physical record of a planet-wide disaster.

False. The Moon has more craters primarily because it lacks an atmosphere and geological activity to erase them. Earth actually has a stronger gravitational pull and likely experiences more impacts, but our atmosphere burns up small rocks, and our active geology (weathering and plate tectonics) quickly removes the evidence of the craters that do form.

Breccia (specifically impact breccia) is the correct answer. When an impact occurs, the target rock is shattered into jagged fragments. The intense heat of the collision often melts some of the rock, which acts like glue to fuse the broken pieces back together into a new, messy-looking stone. This rock type is a key indicator of a past impact.

To test if we can redirect an asteroid is the correct answer. DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) successfully crashed a spacecraft into a small asteroid moon to see if the impact would change its orbital path. This "kinetic impactor" technique is a primary strategy for planetary defense, designed to protect Earth from future dangerous meteorite collisions.

Vredefort, Sudbury, and Manicouagan are the correct answers. The Vredefort crater is the largest verified impact site on Earth. Manicouagan is famous for its "Ring Lake" visible from space. Copernicus is a very famous and bright crater, but it is located on the Moon, not on Earth. Scientists study these Earth-based sites to understand ancient, massive collisions.

True. These are known as "impact diamonds" or "nanodiamonds." The pressure generated by a high-velocity meteorite collision is so intense that it can transform graphite or other carbon sources in the target rock directly into tiny diamonds. While these are usually too small to be used in jewelry, they are important scientific evidence of the extreme conditions of an impact.