Monday, February 14, 2005

Asteroid Impact Simulator

Most scientists believe that an asteroid impact at the end of the Cretaceous brought about significant, world-wide environmental changes that killed of the dinosaurs (but not their still living relatives, the birds, of course!). Now you can use the Earth Impact Effects Program developed by the Department of Planetary Sciences, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona to simulate your own asteroid impact. This program will estimate the ejecta distribution, ground shaking, atmospheric blast wave, and thermal effects of an impact as well as the size of the crater produced.