Chicxulub: The Impact and Tsunami: The Story of the Largest Known Asteroid to Hit the Earth

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David Shonting Cathy Ezrailson

Chicxulub

The Impact and Tsunami: The Story of the Largest Known Asteroid to Hit the Earth

David Shonting, Cathy Ezrailson

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English

Springer International Publishing AG
19 September 2016

Historical geology; Natural disasters; Popular astronomy & space

Series: Springer Praxis Books

This book tells the story of the catastrophic impact of the giant 10 Km asteroid Chicxulub into the ancient Gulf of Mexico 65.5 million years ago. The book begins with a discussion of the nature of asteroids and the likelihood of future Earth-impacts. The story then turns to the discovery of a global sediment layer attributed to the fallout from the impact and a piecing together of the evidence that revealed a monster crater, buried under the Gulf. Reviewed is the myriad of geological and fossil evidence that suggested the disastrous sequence of events occurring when a ""nuclear-like"" explosion ripped through the sea, Earth, and atmosphere, thus forming the mega-crater and tsunami. The aftermath of the Chicxulub's event initiated decades and more of major global climate changes including a ""Nuclear Winter"" of freezing darkness and blistering greenhouse warming. A chapter is dedicated to the science of tsunamis and their model generation, including a portrayal of the globally rampaging Chicxulub waves.

The asteroid's global devastation killed off some 70% of animal and plant life including the dinosaurs. The study of an ancient Cambrian fossil bed suggests how ""roll of the dice"" events can affect the future evolution of life on Earth. We see how Chicxulub's apparent destruction of the dinosaurs, followed by the their replacement with small mammals, altered forever the progress of human evolution. This book presents a fascinating glimpse through the lens of the natural sciences - the geology, climatology, and oceanography, of the effects of an enormous astronomical event.

By: David Shonting, Cathy Ezrailson
Imprint: Springer International Publishing AG
Country of Publication: Switzerland
Edition: 1st ed. 2017
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 155mm, Spine: 10mm
Weight: 3.554kg
ISBN: 9783319394855
ISBN 10: 3319394851
Series: Springer Praxis Books
Pages: 124
Publication Date: 19 September 2016
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Preface.- Prologue: the arrival.- Chapter 1: The orbiting objects.- Chapter 2: The tale of chicxulub.- Chapter 3: A scenario for the chicxulub impact and energies.- Chapter 4: The chicxulub tsunami.- Chapter 5: Long term global effects.- Epilogue: Possible chicxulub effects on the path of human evolution.

David Shonting earned a B.S. and M.S. in chemistry from the University of New Hampshire and the ScD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He served as research assistant at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, as a physical oceanographer at the Naval Underwater Systems Center, Newport, RI and as adjunct professor at the University of Rhode Island. He helped to initiate and develop the Oceanography and Ocean Engineering programs at Southeast Massachusetts University. Dr. Shonting also conducted research at the NATO Undersea Research Centre in La Spazia, Italy and has consulted in Admiralty Law and environmental programs Cathy Ezrailson is currently an associate professor of science education at the University of South Dakota. She earned her B.S. in Earth Science from Ashland University, her M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction: Science Education at the University of Houston, and her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction: Physics Education from Texas A&M University. She has taught physics, geology, and physical science. And was awarded the Presidential Award Excellence in Math and Science Teaching from Texas in 2000. She gives local, national and international presentations and workshops for teachers and students. She now consults widely on classroom, lab and field safety.

Reviews for Chicxulub: The Impact and Tsunami: The Story of the Largest Known Asteroid to Hit the Earth

Shonting ... offer a narrative that touches on scientific disciplines based in tsunami research, including astronomy, geology, oceanography, chemistry, biosciences, and world history. ... Each of the five chapters begins with an abstract that guides the reader through that chapter's exploration. ... Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. (R. I. Saltz, Choice, Vol. 54 (11), July, 2017)