Comet/Asteroid Impacts and Human Society (eBook)

Preface 5
Contents 8
Contributors 19
Anthropology, Archaeology, Geology 25
The Geologic Record of Destructive Impact Events on Earth 26
The Archaeology and Anthropology of Quaternary Period Cosmic Impact 48
The Sky on the Ground: Celestial Objects and Events in Archaeology and Popular Culture 94
Umm al Binni Structure, Southern Iraq, as a Postulated Late Holocene Meteorite Impact Crater 111
Tree-Rings Indicate Global Environmental Downturns that could have been Caused by Comet Debris 126
The GGE Threat: Facing and Coping with Global Geophysical Events 144
Astronomy and Physical Implications 163
The Asteroid Impact Hazard and Interdisciplinary Issues 164
The Impact Hazard: Advanced NEO Surveys and Societal Responses 182
Understanding the Near-Earth Object Population: the 2004 Perspective 193
Physical Properties of NEOs and Risks of an Impact: Current Knowledge and Future Challenges 206
Evaluating the Risk of Impacts and the Efficiency of Risk Reduction 219
Physical Effects of Comet and Asteroid Impacts: Beyond the Crater Rim 227
Frequent Ozone Depletion Resulting from Impacts of Asteroids and Comets 241
Tsunami as a Destructive Aftermath of Oceanic Impacts 262
The Physical and Social Effects of the Kaali Meteorite Impact – a Review 279
The Climatic Effects of Asteroid and Comet Impacts: Consequences for an Increasingly Interconnected Society 290
Nature of the Tunguska Impactor Based on Peat Material from the Explosion Area 303
The Tunguska Event 314
Tunguska (1908) and Its Relevance for Comet/ Asteroid Impact Statistics 342
Atmospheric Megacryometeor Events versus Small Meteorite Impacts: Scientific and Human Perspective of a Potential Natural Hazard 351
Socio-Economic and Policy Implications 362
Social Science and Near-Earth Objects: an Inventory of Issues 363
Perception of Risk from Asteroid Impact 376
Hazard Risk Assessment of a Near Earth Object 390
Social Perspectives on Comet/ Asteroid Impact ( CAI) Hazards: Technocratic Authority and the Geography of Social Vulnerability 406
May Land Impacts Induce a Catastrophic Collapse of Civil Societies? 425
The Societal Implications of a Comet/ Asteroid Impact on Earth: a Perspective from International Development Studies 443
Disaster Planning for Cosmic Impacts: Progress and Weaknesses 454
Insurance Coverage of Meteorite, Asteroid and Comet Impacts – Issues and Options 474
The Economic Consequences of Disasters due to Asteroid and Comet Impacts, Small and Large 484
Communicating Impact Risk to the Public 499
Impact Risk Communication Management ( 1998– 2004): Has It Improved? 509
Towards Rational International Policies on the NEO Hazard 524
A Road Map for Creating a NEO Research Program in Developing Countries 530
Index 536