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Carl Alwmark

Carl Alwmark

Senior lecturer

Carl Alwmark

First known Terrestrial Impact of a Binary Asteroid from a Main Belt Breakup Event

Author

  • Jens Ormoe
  • Erik Sturkell
  • Carl Alwmark
  • Jay Melosh

Summary, in English

Approximately 470 million years ago one of the largest cosmic catastrophes occurred in our solar system since the accretion of the planets. A 200-km large asteroid was disrupted by a collision in the Main Asteroid Belt, which spawned fragments into Earth crossing orbits. This had tremendous consequences for the meteorite production and cratering rate during several millions of years following the event. The 7.5-km wide Lockne crater, central Sweden, is known to be a member of this family. We here provide evidence that Lockne and its nearby companion, the 0.7-km diameter, contemporaneous, Malingen crater, formed by the impact of a binary, presumably 'rubble pile' asteroid. This newly discovered crater doublet provides a unique reference for impacts by combined, and poorly consolidated projectiles, as well as for the development of binary asteroids.

Department/s

  • Lithosphere and Biosphere Science

Publishing year

2014

Language

English

Publication/Series

Scientific Reports

Volume

4

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group

Topic

  • Geology

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 2045-2322