Numerical Modeling of an Asteroid Impact on Earth: Matching Field Observations at the Chicxulub Crater Using the Distinct Element Method (DEM)
In recent years, an international consortium of research organizations conducted investigations at the Chicxulub Crater in Yucatan, Mexico, to better understand the crater’s formation mechanisms and the effects produced by the impact of the asteroid that is hypothesized to have caused one of the maj...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Geosciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/13/5/139 |
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| author | Tam N.-M. Duong Billy Hernawan Zenon Medina-Cetina Jaime Urrutia Fucugauchi |
| author_facet | Tam N.-M. Duong Billy Hernawan Zenon Medina-Cetina Jaime Urrutia Fucugauchi |
| author_sort | Tam N.-M. Duong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In recent years, an international consortium of research organizations conducted investigations at the Chicxulub Crater in Yucatan, Mexico, to better understand the crater’s formation mechanisms and the effects produced by the impact of the asteroid that is hypothesized to have caused one of the major life extinctions on Earth. This study aims to reproduce the asteroid’s impact mechanics by matching computer simulations obtained with the use of the distinct element method (DEM) against the latest topographic data observed across the crater footprint. A 2D model was formulated using ITASCA’s PFC2D software to reproduce the asteroid’s impact on Earth. The model ground conditions prior to impact were replicated based on available geological and geophysical field information. Also, the proposed DEM model configuration was designed to reproduce a far-field effect to ascertain the energy dissipation of the asteroid’s impact at the model’s boundaries. Impact conditions of the asteroid were defined based on previous asteroid impact investigations. A parametric analysis including the asteroid’s impact angle and the asteroid’s impact velocity was conducted to assess their influence on the crater formation process. Results of the simulations included the final crater topography and stratigraphy, stress profiles, contact force chains, and velocity fields. Numerical simulations showed that both the asteroid velocity and impact inclination play a major role in the crater formation process, and that the use of DEM provides interesting insights into impact crater formation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:41:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-29e2c900870b4902ba64fe5e0aa457a2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3263 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:41:17Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-29e2c900870b4902ba64fe5e0aa457a22023-11-18T01:30:59ZengMDPI AGGeosciences2076-32632023-05-0113513910.3390/geosciences13050139Numerical Modeling of an Asteroid Impact on Earth: Matching Field Observations at the Chicxulub Crater Using the Distinct Element Method (DEM)Tam N.-M. Duong0Billy Hernawan1Zenon Medina-Cetina2Jaime Urrutia Fucugauchi3Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, 10615 Shadow Wood Dr Suite 100, Houston, TX 77043, USAZachry Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USAZachry Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USAInstitute of Geophysics, National University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City 04510, MexicoIn recent years, an international consortium of research organizations conducted investigations at the Chicxulub Crater in Yucatan, Mexico, to better understand the crater’s formation mechanisms and the effects produced by the impact of the asteroid that is hypothesized to have caused one of the major life extinctions on Earth. This study aims to reproduce the asteroid’s impact mechanics by matching computer simulations obtained with the use of the distinct element method (DEM) against the latest topographic data observed across the crater footprint. A 2D model was formulated using ITASCA’s PFC2D software to reproduce the asteroid’s impact on Earth. The model ground conditions prior to impact were replicated based on available geological and geophysical field information. Also, the proposed DEM model configuration was designed to reproduce a far-field effect to ascertain the energy dissipation of the asteroid’s impact at the model’s boundaries. Impact conditions of the asteroid were defined based on previous asteroid impact investigations. A parametric analysis including the asteroid’s impact angle and the asteroid’s impact velocity was conducted to assess their influence on the crater formation process. Results of the simulations included the final crater topography and stratigraphy, stress profiles, contact force chains, and velocity fields. Numerical simulations showed that both the asteroid velocity and impact inclination play a major role in the crater formation process, and that the use of DEM provides interesting insights into impact crater formation.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/13/5/139asteroid impactChicxulub cratercrater formationtopographystratigraphydistinct element method DEM |
| spellingShingle | Tam N.-M. Duong Billy Hernawan Zenon Medina-Cetina Jaime Urrutia Fucugauchi Numerical Modeling of an Asteroid Impact on Earth: Matching Field Observations at the Chicxulub Crater Using the Distinct Element Method (DEM) Geosciences asteroid impact Chicxulub crater crater formation topography stratigraphy distinct element method DEM |
| title | Numerical Modeling of an Asteroid Impact on Earth: Matching Field Observations at the Chicxulub Crater Using the Distinct Element Method (DEM) |
| title_full | Numerical Modeling of an Asteroid Impact on Earth: Matching Field Observations at the Chicxulub Crater Using the Distinct Element Method (DEM) |
| title_fullStr | Numerical Modeling of an Asteroid Impact on Earth: Matching Field Observations at the Chicxulub Crater Using the Distinct Element Method (DEM) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Numerical Modeling of an Asteroid Impact on Earth: Matching Field Observations at the Chicxulub Crater Using the Distinct Element Method (DEM) |
| title_short | Numerical Modeling of an Asteroid Impact on Earth: Matching Field Observations at the Chicxulub Crater Using the Distinct Element Method (DEM) |
| title_sort | numerical modeling of an asteroid impact on earth matching field observations at the chicxulub crater using the distinct element method dem |
| topic | asteroid impact Chicxulub crater crater formation topography stratigraphy distinct element method DEM |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/13/5/139 |
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