Impact Cratering: From Microstructure to Mass Extinction

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• Dr Auriol Rae (Department of Earth Sciences, Cambridge)
• Tuesday 23 January 2024, 20:30-22:00
• Peterhouse Theatre.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Reem Alhassan.

You are cordially invited to the Kelvin Club’s first talk of the term, which will take place on Tuesday 13th January. Wine, cheese, and other refreshments will be served in the Lubbock Room at Peterhouse from 8:30 pm for an 8:45 pm start. Dr Auriol Rae will be speaking on the subject of impact cratering.

Impacts have shaped our world and the Solar System. These collisions gave birth to the Moon, caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, and delivered the essential ingredients for life on Earth. Studying impact cratering is challenging because the Earth’s impact record has been severely affected by other geological processes. While on other planetary bodies, the study of impact processes is limited to remote sensing or small sample volumes. Furthermore, all of the processes in an impact cratering event cannot be simultaneously reproduced by experiments in the laboratory. In this talk, I will demonstrate how observational geology, experimental methods, and numerical modelling can be combined to understand the process and consequences of impact cratering. This talk will particularly focus on the formation of the Chicxulub impact structure, widely known for its role in the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period.

Please ask for directions to the Theatre at the Peterhouse Porters Lodge on Trumpington St. All are welcome.

This talk is part of the Kelvin Club - Peterhouse Scientific Society series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• Kelvin Club - Peterhouse Scientific Society
• Peterhouse Theatre

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