Worlds in Interaction

Our planet is affected by its near environment, in particular the small bodies in the solar system. This book reviews the processes which cause the collisions of these small bodies with the Earth, as well as the consequences of such collisions. The various articles take the reader through the galaxy/solar-system connection to the orbital dynamics of the small bodies and to their number and distribution in near-Earth space. The hazards of the impacts of small bodies on Earth are evaluated, and the geophysical records of such impacts are discussed. The book takes the reader to the forefront of research on both impact cratering and the origin and evolution of small bodies in the solar system. Thus it brings together two subjects - geophysics and astronomy - which are usually discussed in separate volumes, but are closely knit together in this particular area of research.