Virtual Crater Lab
Objective: Demonstrate, with the impact calculator and relevant satellite imagery, how
observations of craters caused by comets and asteroids can give insight to the
characteristics of the projectile and the impact conditions.
1.
Go to https://gateway.golabz.eu/embed/apps/5ba2f9e5-7570-4783-814046941dd625be/app.html and click on Earth and then Start.
2. Under Earth Trial 1, set any parameters you would like for projectile diameter, trajectory
angle, projectile velocity, projectile density, and distance from the crash site. For Target
Density, select Igneous Rock. Record your settings in the data table below and hit
submit.
3. On The next screen, there is a drop down menu to select a location below the Impact
Values data table. Choose a location and then click anywhere on the map to set a
specific location for the impact. You may need to zoom out by hitting the - button on the
map in order to see the entire crater.
4. From the Impact Values data table, record the crater depth, crater width, and Richter
Magnitude in the data table below.
5. On the bottom of the screen, select Crater Depth.
6. Select different landmarks from the drop down menu to see how the depth of the crater
compares. Note: It may look blank until you select a landmark. Some landmarks may
be too small to see if the crater depth is very large.
7. Record which landmark is the best comparison for the crater depth in the data table
below.
8. At the top of the page, click on the Earth button. A drop down menu will appear; click on
the Moon.
9. The same parameters will carry over from what you selected for Earth Trial 1, but there
will be no data for Distance from Crash Site.
10. Repeat steps 3-7.
11. At the top of the page, click on the Moon button. A drop down menu will appear; click on
Mars.
12. The same parameters will carry over from what you selected for Earth Trial 1, but there
will be no data for Distance from Crash Site.
13. Repeat steps 3-7.
14. At the top of the page, click on the Mars button. A drop down menu will appear; click on
Earth.
15. Click on the back button at the bottom of the page.
16. Repeat Steps 2-15 to complete Trial 2.
17. Repeat Steps 2-15 to complete Trial 3.
Data Table
Location
Earth
Trial 1
Moon
Trial 1
Mars
Trial 1
Earth Moon
Trial 2 Trial 2
Mars
Trial 2
Earth
Trial 3
Moon
Trial 3
Projectile
Diameter
Trajectory
Angle
Projectile
Velocity
Projectile
Density
Target
Density
Igneous Rock
Distance
from Crash
Site
Crater Depth
Crater Width
Richter
Magnitude
Crater
Depth:
Which
Landmark is
the best
comparison?
Questions: Answer in complete sentences.
1.
2.
3.
4.
How does changing the trajectory angle affect crater size on the Moon?
How does changing the projectile density affect the crater size on Earth?
For each trial, where was the crater the deepest? The widest?
What unmeasured factor is causing the difference is crater size as the location
changed?
Mars
Trial 3