Effects of comet impacts in the deep oceans

[KingTiger]

While doing some research on effects of comet impacts in deep oceans, I began to realize that even the first order effects like large coastal tidal waves and initial atmospheric debris would be minor compared to the atmospheric effects and weather effects on the land just after the event.

I would like to ask those of the forum who may be more knowledgeable on this issue; is how much vaporized sea water that will be thrown in the upper atmosphere by these events is needed to destroy most of the earth's fertile land by the deposit of salt water on crops for a few years.

Maybe this is what happened during the Dark Age comets which caused the famine of crops besides the earth's weather cooling effects, which would be more long term effects.

I imagine a single Pacific or Atlantic impact would likely hinder the entire worlds growing seasons by raining salt water (condensed sea water vapor) on most of the world's agricultural areas.

How much vaporized salt water is needed to do a season or two to damage food producing lands in the form of rain or other sublimation? How long would it be necessary for these lands to recover? Or is my theory totally wrong?

If it takes just a little salt in the rain, then I can see the entire world suffering from the impact effects for years, which may surely cause nations to fall.

 

[Carl]

We have had hundreds of nuclear tests in the ocean, and despite the other horrific effects this does not seem to have caused salt water rain that ruined our crops. It is my understanding that if the salt is vaporized along with the water due to high temperatures (such as a cometary air burst) it would take only a few seconds to cool down back to a solid, as it's melting and boiling points are very high. Then again, I'm no expert and this is just my own 'common sense'.

 

[Cosmos]

I dunno but isn't it impossible for salt to vaporize together with water?
I mean when I put a pot of water on the stove and make it really salty and then cook it,
as far as I know the only thing that vaporizes into the air is water? The salt stays in the pot?

 

[KingTiger]

The vapor I am talking about is in addition to the energy transfer of boiled vapor, this is thrown up by the impacts force and is not boiled but pushed high in the atmosphere as tiny droplets of sea water because of the impact's displacement volume. Not all of the water displaced would have boiled. These droplets would reach a high altitudes and condense and rain along with the vaporized water in torrential downpours inland.

How much sea salt water is needed to ruin fertile lands? A question I can't seem to find any answer to.

I under stand nuclear tests do not displace much volume directly but mostly convert the sea water to just pure water vapor (along with the radiation) in the upper atmosphere by the energy of the explosion.

 

[Vulcan59]

FWIW - Dallas Abbott: The Burckle Impact

The results of our study show that substantive oceanic comet impactsnot only have occurred more recently than modeled by astrophysicists, but also that they have profoundly affected Earth’s natural systems, climate, and human societies.

 

[Pierre]

The vapor I am talking about is in addition to the energy transfer of boiled vapor, this is thrown up by the impacts force and is not boiled but pushed high in the atmosphere as tiny droplets of sea water because of the impact's displacement volume. Not all of the water displaced would have boiled. These droplets would reach a high altitudes and condense and rain along with the vaporized water in torrential downpours inland.

I think that the vaporized oceanic water would be pure water vapour with no salt. It's the same principle as a distiller where solute (salts for example) stay in the boiling chamber while pure water vapour rises (and is later condensed to its initial liquid phase).

However, as you mentioned, projected oceanic water droplets would still contains solutes (salts) and could act as condensation nuclei for the atmospheric water vapour generated by the oceanic impact.

I think that an impact that would generate enough droplets and vapour to destroy most fertile grounds would have other effects (atmospheric erosion, earthquakes, shock-waves, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, changes in Earth's tilt,...) that would be at least as destructive as the vapour/droplets