Description
Astronomic archives of bombardment: engaging with terrestrial impact cratersOur earth contains extensive evidence of previous, persistent and ongoing astronomic bombardment in the form of terrestrial impact craters. This paper examines the management, regulation, coordination and interpretation of these crater sites as archives of bombardment subject to vastly different jurisdictions and resource management regimes. They can be understood variously as sites of colonial violence, vessels for stories about scientific imperialism, venues for environmental education, tourism destinations, reservoirs for data on future impact hazard, and locations for the extraction of material assets. The Ries and Rochechoruart craters in Germany and France, for instance, are quarried for their building stone, while South Africa’s Vredfort impact structure is used amongst other things for agriculture and the dumping of sewage, and the Sudbury Basin in Canada produces more than $2 billion in nickel-copper sulphide each year. Alongside more well-known impact sites such as Meteor Crater Natural landmark in Winslow Arizona, Chicxulub Crater off the Yucatán Peninsula and Stevns Klint World Heritage Site in Denmark, these archives of bombardment centre ancient and modern eschatological imaginaries and provide an opportunity to reflect upon the jarring co-incidence of annihilation and mundane utility.
| Period | 01 Sept 2023 |
|---|---|
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | London , United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |