Meteorite Impacts: Mankind’s Doom?

Content

Abstract…………………………………………………….2

Situational Analysis………………………………………..3

Premise……………………………………………………..11

Definitions………………………………………………….

Study Limitations…………………………………………..12

Work Plan…………………………………………………..12

Study and Findings………………………………………….12

Conclusion…………………………………………………..16

Premise Assessment…………………………………………16

Recommendations for Future Studies……………………….17

Recommendations for Unit Studied…………………………17

Reference……………………………………………………18

Abstract

The rich Mesopotamian marshlands almost completely disappeared, with only 10 percent of the important ecosystem still remaining, according to a study based on satellite images of the region. The marshlands lie in the confluence Tigris and Euphrates in southern Iraq and extend into Iran. Scientists at the U.N. Environment Program (UNEP) found that the marshy area has almost completely dried up over the past three decades and is now mainly desert with large salt-encrusted patches. A small northern fringe of marsh that straddles the Iraq-Iran border is all that remains. The damage is a result of to extensive damming upstream and drainage schemes implemented since the 1970s. More recently, a major factor contributing to the problem is a massive drainage works program installed in southern Iraq in the early 1990s.

According to the UNEP study, due to be published later this year, the marshlands previously totaled an area of 15,000 to 20,000 square kilometers (5,800 to 7,700 square miles) but now cover less than 1,500 to 2,000 square kilometers (580 to 770 square miles). 1

An indigenous group of people known as Ma’dan-who trace their culture to ancient Sumerians and Babylonians-have been displaced by the loss of the marshlands. The major ecological changes have also put several species of migratory birds and waterfowl at risk, while mammals unique to the region, such as the smooth-coated otter, are now considered extinct. Coastal fisheries in the northern Gulf, which depend on the marshlands for spawning grounds, have experienced a sharp decline.

The U.N. and a team of scientists assembled by the Iraqi Foundation are urging Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran (all countries with the Tigris-Euphrates river basin) to develop a joint program to manage the water supply and halt further environmental damage. The team of scientists is also developing a restoration plan for the Mesopotamian marshlands; this effort is being called Eden Again.

Situation Analysis

History of Meteorites 32

Meteorites or sometimes referred to as meteors have been around since the beginning of our solar system. Approximately 4.5 billion years ago these “rocks that fall from the sky” were formed. Comprised of most of the same materials that comprises rocks found on earth, meterorites have traveled from long distances with evidence of materials that are found on stars.

In ancient times, objects in the night sky conjured superstition and were associated with gods and religion. But the misunderstandings about meteors lasted longer than those of most celestial objects. Meteorites were long ago thought to be cast down as gifts from angels. Others thought the gods were displaying their anger. As late as the 17th Century, many believed they fell from thunderstorms (they were nicknamed "thunderstones"). Many scientists were skeptical that stones could fall from the clouds or the heavens, and often they simply didn't believe the accounts of people who claimed to have seen such things.

However, in 1807, a fireball exploded over Connecticut, and several meteorites rained down. By then, the first handful of asteroids had been discovered, and a new theory emerged suggesting