Can an Asteroid as big as LA lead to the Extinction of the Human Race?

The world will vanish one day and scientists have many theories about the annihilation of the planet Earth. Astronomers seem to believe that a severe impact on earth may cause its end. Astronomically speaking thousands of asteroids have come in contact with the earth, though they may have caused damages, none of them have caused the extinction of the human race. Last known enormous asteroid that hit the earth was a 250-300 kilometers diameter asteroid found in Quebec, Canada. This is recorded to have happened almost 2.1 billion years ago. It is believed that at that time only life form that existed was bacteria and algae. That asteroid left the crater of 500 kilometers. After an investigation, traces of uranium were found which confirmed the existence of the meteor collision with the Earth. 

Another such incident is the one which led to the Dinosaur Extinction. An asteroid of about 180 kilometers hit the Earth about 66 million years ago. It is verified that the blow of asteroid didn’t make the dinosaurs extinct but the after-effects it left may have. These include the dramatic climate swings and the volcanos that erupted as a result of the impact. It may seem that asteroid collision occurs after millions of years but it is relatively common. It is confirmed that more than 48 debris falls into Earth’s environment each day. These mostly do not have any major effect on the environment. Most of them are micro meteors that burn up instantly. Rarely a larger meteor gets attracted by earth’s gravity.

If Earth gets hit by an asteroid the size of Los Angeles, it can cause a couple of anguishes. The Earth hasn’t had a hit so big yet but it is recorded that such a hit can cause the extinction of life as we know it as well as major climatic changes. Few of the changes that may occur are discussed below.

A crater would shape by the hit. A crater is formed when a hefty and greater asteroid with a considerable fast speed hits the surface of the earth. Two of the major craters that were formed were 300 and 500 km in diameter in South Africa and Greenland, respectively. It can be stated that if an asteroid the size of Los Angelos hit the earth it would form a thousand of kilometers wide crater which would have insignificant depth. The crater will revolutionize the surface of the earth. The development of crater will also leave an extensive quantity of minerals onto the surface of the earth.

A larger asteroid hit will change the atmosphere of the planet, affecting the climate of the earth. The climate will drastically change. With asteroids come moisture which will affect sunlight and surrounding temperature. Upon impact, vaporized dust and rock will surround the atmosphere while evidently blocking the sun creating a near-permanent dimness and winter-like sensation.

The major asteroid hit would create vibrations that will disrupt the earth’s natural creations. The volcanos around the world will be disturbed to an extent that they will erupt causing more climatic changes like dusty weather and gas release. The enormous hit will also cause the ocean’s tide to hazardously get out of control which in result will cause major tsunamis. This will majorly affect the man-made structures, the crops and the life of humans. 

The vibrations produced by the hit will strike major blows on the surface of the earth. If an enormous 1000 kilometer asteroid hits Earth, the cracks formed will be so profligate that they can break the Earth into fragments. Additionally, the Ozone layer protects the life of this planet from direct sun exposure. This gigantic asteroid can cause maximum damage to it exposing the life on the planet to global cancer. It would also affect the growth of plants and animals. 

Last known asteroid that hit our planet and wiped the existence of dinosaurs was 180 kilometers in diameter. The asteroid of the size of Los Angeles will eliminate all forms of life including humans, plants, and animals. Extinction would be our fate either through direct impact or due to the environmental changes which will follow the strike.