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Assessments of the energy, mass and size of the Chicxulub Impactor

Title	Assessments of the energy, mass and size of the Chicxulub Impactor
Authors	Hector Javier Durand-Manterola, Guadalupe Cordero-Tercero
Date	03/19/2014
Introduction	In 1980, Alvarez and colleagues advanced the theory that a large impactor collided with Earth during the Cretaceous-Paleogene transition, instigating the mass extinction event at the K/Pg boundary. Initially, no known impact structure was available to substantiate this extinction event. It was not until 1991 that an international research group identified a circular structure, measuring 180 to 200 km, buried under Tertiary deposits in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, as the crater resulting from the impact theorised by Alvarez's team (Hildebrand et al., 1991). An impact of this magnitude would likely have profound effects on Earth's surface and environment. To assess these effects, it is crucial to determine the characteristics of the impactor. Literature frequently discusses the impactor's nature, suggesting options such as an asteroid, a comet, or even a series of cometary impacts causing periodic extinctions. However, the precise physical parameters of the impactor remain unconstrained. Therefore, this study aims to quantify its most relevant features, including size, mass, and kinetic energy. Our analysis indicates the impactor's kinetic energy falls within the range of 1.3e24 J to 5.8e25 J. Its mass is estimated to be between 1.0e15 kg and 4.6e17 kg. Furthermore, the object's diameter is calculated to be between 10.6 km and 80.9 km. Utilizing the impactor's mass and the abundance of iridium in various meteorite types, we computed the expected iridium concentration in the K/Pg layer. Comparing these computed values with actual observations leads to the conclusion that the impactor was most likely a comet.
Quote	Hector Javier Durand-Manterola and Guadalupe Cordero-Tercero. Assessments of the energy, mass and size of the Chicxulub Impactor. 2014.
Element	Iridium (Ir)
Industry	Research & Laboratory , Space

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