Numerical Simulation of Material Ejection into the Atmosphere Induced by Oblique Impacts of Ten-Kilometer-Diameter Asteroids into the Ocean

Abstract

The results of a three-dimensional numerical simulation of the oblique impacts of ten-kilometer asteroids at an angle of 45° onto a solid surface and into an ocean with a depth of 1 to 6 km are presented. The maximum masses of water, impactor, and soil ejected into the atmosphere and the masses of water, impactor material, and soil remaining in the atmosphere 10 minutes after the impact are calculated. The mass of vaporized ejecta is determined. It is shown that there are 2–5 times more impactor material and soil ejected into the atmosphere during oblique impacts than during vertical impacts.