Christian Köberl Bücher

Hunderttausende Asteroiden schwirren durchs Sonnensystem – und manche kommen unserem Planeten ziemlich nahe: 17.000 Gesteinsbrocken sind bekannt, deren Bahnen an die Erde heranführen, und ständig werden neue entdeckt. Die kosmischen Besucher sind faszinierende Forschungsobjekte, die vom Beginn des Sonnensystems berichten. Fallweise aber donnert ein Meteorit zerstörerischer als eine Atombombe auf die Erde. Und es wird wieder passieren – vielleicht sogar ein Massensterben auslösen wie zur Zeit der Dinosaurier. Asteroiden haben die Erde schon oft getroffen, wovon fast 200 Meteoritenkrater auf dem Planeten zeugen. Dieses Buch beantwortet anhand neuester Forschung die wichtigsten Fragen über Meteoriten und Krater: Was sind Meteoriten, und woraus bestehen sie? Kann man Einschläge vorhersehen und abwehren? Wie entsteht ein Krater? Wo kann man eine Kirche aus Impaktgestein besichtigen? Und warum gibt es in Kratern Erdöl und Diamanten?

Provides the first comprehensive introduction to the study of impact craters and structures. It will, thus, place emphasis of the variety of different characteristics associated to impact cratering as observed in the field and in the laboratory. Explanation of how to recognize impact structures is followed by a description of impact-diagnostic mineralogical and geochemical characteristics allowing confirmation of an impact structure. Also addresses the environmental and biological effects of impact events as well as possible associations with geological boundaries and provide extensive references and illustrations.

This volume is the latest in a series resulting from the scientific program on "The Response of the Earth System to Impact Processes" (IMPACT) by the European Science Foundation (ESF), which unites over 60 national funding organizations from more than 20 countries. A primary goal of the ESF is to foster collaboration among European scientists on shared interests. The IMPACT program encompasses all aspects of impact research, primarily through workshops, exchange programs, short courses, and related activities, with a focus on stimulating interdisciplinary and international research. The impacts of asteroids or comets on Earth have significantly influenced the planet's evolution. This interdisciplinary program seeks to understand impact processes and their effects on the Earth system, including environmental, biological, and geological changes, as well as consequences for ecosystem biodiversity. The program's key objective is to comprehend the processes behind these interactions, achieved through eight workshops and their published proceedings. The workshop that led to this volume focused on impact tectonic studies and took place in Mora, located in the western part of the Siljan impact structure in Sweden.

The present volume is an outcome of the scientific programme “Response of the Earth System to Impact Processes” (IMPACT) by the European Science Foundation (ESF). The ESF is an association of 67 national member organizations devoted to scientific research in 24 European countries. The IMPACT programme is aimed at understanding meteorite impact processes and their effects on the Earth System. Launched in 1998 for duration of 5 years, 15 ESF member organizations now participate in this programme, which will officially end in late 2003, although the momentum gained for European (and worldwide) impact research will be carried on in other programs and organizations. The programme deals with all aspects of meteorite impact research and operates through workshops, exchange programs, publications, and short courses. This particular book is the third in an informal series on “Impact Studies”, which is published by Springer and intended to go beyond the ESF IMPACT programme by providing a venue for high quality (and peer-reviewed) monographs and conference and workshop proceedings on general topics connected to impact cratering and related research. th The 6 ESF-Impact workshop “Impact makers in the stratigraphic record” was held in Granada (Spain) on May 2001, with about sixty scientists from Europe, Taiwan, and North America attending the workshop. During the workshop 30 oral, 32 poster, and 3 keynote contributions were presented.