Exploring Meteor Impacts on Earth and Beyond

Activity Source: U.S. Geological Survey

 

Background

Terrestrial analogs is a field of planetary science that compares topographic features on other planets to similar features on Earth. We study sites on Earth as representations of planetary sites because they are more easily accessible and can be directly measured or observed. Impact craters are easily found on the Moon and Mars, but did you know there are also lots of impact craters here on Earth? In this activity, you will explore meteor impact sites on Earth and compare these to sites on the Moon and Mars.

Materials

  • Computer with internet access

Procedure

  1. Go to Impact Earth to view craters formed by meteor impacts on Earth.

    a. Find the crater closest to where you live. Zoom in on the area to see an outline of the impact cater. Describe it or draw it.

    b. Click “View Details” to read about this crater. What is its rim diameter?

    c. Use the map to find Meteor Crater in Arizona, one of the best‑preserved impact craters on Earth.

    d. Zoom in on Meteor Crater. Describe and/or draw it. How does it compare to the crater near you?

  2. Open the Moon Quickmap site.

    a. Navigate around the map, zooming in and out. What kinds of things do you notice about the surface of the Moon? Are craters easy to see?

    b. In the “Draw and Query” panel (indicated by a magnifying glass), select the tool that looks like a line segment. Click on the map to start a line then double-click in a different location to finish it. A “Feature Inspector” will appear on the right.

    c. Enter “Copernicus” in the Search bar and click on the top result to go to the Copernicus crater.

    d. What do you think the crater diameter is? Measure it using the line segment in the “Draw & Query” panel. Suppose the Copernicus crater was centered where you live? How far would its diameter reach? Would it cover your town? County? State?

    e. Find a crater on the Moon that is about the same diameter as the crater you found nearest you.

  3. Open the Mars Quickmap.

    a. The map opens on a crater about the size of Meteor Crater. The view will look like a lot of squares (called pixels). What do you notice about this map? Zoom out by clicking the minus sign at the upper right. Why do you think when the view was zoomed in it was so pixelated?

    b. What do Mars craters look like? Are they more like craters on the Moon or on Earth? Why do you think this?

Analysis

  1. What other information would you want to know about the meteor impact closest to you?

  2. We don’t see quite as many craters on Earth as we can see on the Moon or Mars. Why do you think that is?

  3. We have many artificial satellites orbiting the Earth, Moon, and Mars, and they all have different types of cameras. What other kinds of differences do you think Earth, Moon, and Mars orbiters have?

Further Steps

The Meteor Crater impact site is used frequently for research and astronaut training. Use the Impact Earth website to zoom in on Meteor Crater and explore it from the surface. Drag the yellow person icon in the lower right corner onto the crater and see what it would look like to stand on the crater rim or hike down to the crater floor!

NGSS Connections

  • SEP: Analyzing and Interpreting Data
  • DCI: ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System; ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth
  • CCC: Stability and Change

SDG Connections