Abstract
GALLANT1 has evaluated axis change in the Earth caused by collisions of large meteorites. The displacements he estimates, however, are larger than those I published ten years ago2 and more recently with slight modification3. He calculates that a Juno-sized meteorite (about 190 km diam.) colliding at 20 km/sec would cause an axis displacement of 0° 45″. However, by using the correct criterion of interaction of the Earth's angular momentum with the moment of momentum of the colliding body, the actual displacement would be only about 0° 02′. In fact, a bigger body, say 320 km in diameter, colliding at a maximum possible velocity of 72 km/sec would produce only 0° 32′ axis shift despite an energy 75 times the Juno example.
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References
Gallant, R. L. C., Nature, 197, 38 (1963).
Kelly, A. O., and Dachille, Frank, Target: Earth—(The Role of Large Meteors in Earth Science), 175 (published by the authors, 1953).
Dachille, Frank, Bull. South Carolina Acad. Sci., 24 (1962). Also contributed discussion VPI–NASA Lunar Conf. (1962).
Innes, M. J., J. Geophys. Res., 66, 2225 (1961).
Dachille, Frank, Earthquake Notes, Eastern Section Seis. Soc. Amer., 27, 22 (1956); J. Ala. Acad. Sci., 27 (1955); 26 (1954).
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DACHILLE, F. Axis Changes in the Earth from Large Meteorite Collisions. Nature 198, 176 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1038/198176a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/198176a0
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