A Lunar Perspective on Impact Cratering on Earth

The record of impact events affecting Earth is deceptively incomplete. Most impacts occur at sea, leaving little trace, and those on land are often destroyed by other geologic processes. To better understand the flux of asteroids and comets hitting the Earth and their hazards, one needs to turn to our astronomical neighbor, the Moon. There, the impact record over the past 4 billion years is perfectly preserved, and even today, we can watch and listen to impacting debris hit the lunar surface. NASA’s Artemis program will soon land astronauts in an impact-cratered terrain near the lunar south pole. Among the mission’s objectives will be geologic studies of impact craters and the stories they tell about bombardment in the Earth-Moon system.

Distinguished Lectures at HMNS are supported by Apache Corporation.