High Pressure, Low Temperature, and Comets

Remember that huge comet that hit the earth resulting in drastic cooler temperatures and the extinction of countless organisms? I don’t, but I do know that scientists are finding increasing evidence that comets might be responsible for spikes of ammonia, a key component in the world’s ecosystem, in rather unusual areas. When a comet comes ripping through the Earth’s atmosphere, it creates a substantially higher pressure, estimated at 6000 times the pressure of air. And if it hits an area that has an abundant source of water, the combination of high pressure and low temperatures, a certain nitrogen fixing reaction occurs. This life-giving and life-taking mechanism, called the Haber Process, can oxide nitrates and nitrites to fertilize plants or even to create explosives. This correlation between ammonia and possible craters could give scientists rough predictions of future comet impacts. Because comets usually come from distant galaxies, far from any of our modern detection equipment, this could help mankind gauge the danger of a comet hitting the Earth. As of right now, if a comet was en-route to our location, we would only have a few years time to react, and then maybe it would be too late.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091214075217.htm

Posted by Michael Tran