Just how much sheilding would a "higher life form" need to survive a GRB that was directed at that life-form's home planet?
I have no idea, but consider this- most GRB's peak emissions are measured in minutes... so only about half the planet is likely to be exposed- the real killer is the damage done to the atmosphere, which will become global... (This is ignoring particle radiation which could have a longer duration and cause serious problems)
Would underground life survive while anything on the planet's surface was completely killed off?
I have given this a lot of thought and short of the death of our sun, and the swallowing of earth by the sun, I cannot come up with a way to totally sterilize Earth- microbes would survive pretty much anything I can imagine...
What about sea creatures?
Same as above
How deep below the surface will the GRB penetrate with lethal doses of radiation?
not very... particle radiation would be more of a problem... I wrote a short story that had a group of miners come out of the mine after a GRB and find everything dead...
Space/Science » in reply to Not being a radiation expert...
Good questions... here are a FEW answers
The whole thread (42 posts)
- Gamma-Ray Bursts and the Earth: Exploration of Atmospheric, Biological, Climatic and Biogeochemical Effects
- I read an interesting paper a while back....
- so what do we DO about it?
- Hope we luck out, and the Moon is in the way. (n/t)
- Super-size the ozone layer and build underground survival shelters. (n/t)
- Manipulate earth's existing fields.
- If I pay you will you create a GRB for me? (n/t)
- Colonize Mars
- How about that huge sun shield...
- re: so what do we DO about it?