Papers presented to the Conference on Large Body Impacts and Terrestrial Evolution : Geological, Climatological, and Biological Implications : October 19-22, 1981, Snowbird, Utah

The effects of large impacts on the environment are discussed and include thermal effects, atmospheric effects, changes in ocean temperatures, and geomagnetic anomalies. Biological factors such as extinction and increases in mutation development were investigated. Geological anomalies studied include stratigraphic gaps, extinction of entire boundary layers from the geological record, and geochemical oddities. Evidence was examined for impact cratering throughout the world.Sponsored by Lunar and Planetary Institute, National Academy of SciencesPARTIAL CONTENTS: Thermal effects of large impacts / E.S. Gaffney--Laboratory simulation of pelagic asteroid impact / D.E. Gault and C.P. Sonett--Reduction of photosynthetically active radiation under extreme stratospheric aerosol loads / S.A.W. Gerstl and A. Zardecki--Possible correlation between tektite falls and other events / B.P. Glass--The record of large scale impact on Earth / R.A.F. Grieve--The southern Gulf of St. Lawrence as an impact structure: A preliminary investigation / J.B. Hartung--Paleoclimatic significance of high iridium concentrations in Pleistocene deep-sea sediments / J.D. Hays--Land plant change across the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary / L.J. Hickey--Large body impact and the pre-Cambrian: Need for multiple origins of life? / R.C. Hoagland--Scaling considerations for kilometer-sized impactors / K.A. Holsapple--Atmospheric effects of large-body impacts: The first few minutes / E.M. Jones, M.T. Sandford, II, and R.W. Whitaker--Graded extinctions related to broad environmental deterioration in the Cretaceous / E.G. Kauffman--A large-scale positive-gravity anomaly in northeastern North America: Possible evidence for large-scale meteorite impact / J.S. Klasner, W.F. Cannon, and K.J. Schulz--Geochemical evidence for major accretion events / F.T. Kyte and J.T. Wasson