2007-03-21 08:36:12 · 7 answers · asked by lathif7681 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
meteor / asteroid -yes There is no upper limit on the size of an object which could hit the earth from "outer space", and the speed of this object could also be extremely high (though not unlimited ...[lightspeed])
earthquake .. probably not
2007-03-21 08:42:56 · answer #1 · answered by atheistforthebirthofjesus 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A meteor would be able to but this depends on the size. The larger, the more potential they will have to destroy all life and even the planet. It is possible a meteor killed off the dinosaurs 65 million years ago but there is mixed evidence to support this as it could also be a meteor shower. A meteor shower could finish the world off too.
An earthquake would not be able to as these only happen in plates or on the borders of plates. There are many plates in the world and there are different types of earthquakes (subduction, slip etc). The most powerful known type of earthquake is a megathrust (like what we saw in 2004 that created the tsunami in Indonesia) where one plate is thrusted beneath another. If the earth was two big plates then an earthquake could end the world as it would repurcussions on the other side of the world but it isn't so meteor is the only way the world could end out of the two options.
2007-03-21 15:51:59 · answer #2 · answered by Tom S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A meteor certainly could change things, but it's doubtful that an earthquake would have enough global impact to cause significnt change. OTOH, if a bunch of new, active volcanos started erupting and filled the air with enough ash, it could lead to a 'nuclear winter'.
A lot of the answer depends on how you mean make the world end. If a sufficiently large meteor (Schumacher-Levi size) hit the planet, we might end up being a star system with *two* asteroid belts.
Doug
2007-03-21 15:45:35 · answer #3 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of the two, a meteor has a much better chance of worldwide devastation. Earthquakes tend to be localized occurances whereas large meteors which strike the earth can cause earthquakes in their own right, inject billions of tons of particulates into the atmosphere wreaking havok with the weather, tsumanis, and I'm sure a whole bunch of other things. As far as making the world end, that depends on your definition of "end". If you are talking about the end to humanity/homo sapiens, it would take a pretty large meteor to knock us out of commision. If you are talking about complete destruction of the planet itself, that would take an enormous hunk of rock to do probably in the realm of hundreds to thousands of miles across.
2007-03-21 15:47:31 · answer #4 · answered by CurazyJ 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We need an earthquake of Richter scale 22 to split the earth into two parts. So for we have not experienced the earthquake of more than 9.5 on Richter scale. Don't worry .The earth will not be destroyed because of earthquakes. But may be because of atomic war.
2007-03-22 03:45:26 · answer #5 · answered by A.Ganapathy India 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A meteor could because of the immense mass of it. It also could because of the global temperature change on impact.
2007-03-21 16:05:17 · answer #6 · answered by isaacb5 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sure if it were big enough
absolutely
2007-03-21 15:44:16 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋