I gotcher extinction event RIGHT HERE, buddy.

[unixronin]

New data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Global Surveyor are strong evidence that the Borealis basin on Mars, long believed to be of volcanic origin, is in fact the largest known impact structure in the solar system.

We're talking an impact structure 5300 miles in diameter, left by an impactor estimated at 1200 miles diameter.  Holy CRAP, that had to have been one hell of a bang.  I'm not even going to attempt to calculate the approximate equivalent yield.

According to the NASA article, it covers about 40% of the surface of Mars.

Comments

Now that I'm ... sober

[mrmeval.livejournal.com]

Taking what is provided and using reasonable WAGs for the rest:

TNT equivalent
198197519442761470 kilotons
198197519442.76147 megatons
198197519.44276147 gigatons

Joules
8.292584213485139905e+26 joules
829258421348513990.5 gigajoules

6378910934.974703922 gallons of gasoline.

Re: Now that I'm ... sober

[mrmeval.livejournal.com]

That will run our planet at it's current energy consumption for 482 years.

Re: Now that I'm ... sober

[house-pundit.livejournal.com]

Hard fro me to see all those digits.

1.98 x E11 megatons

Re: Now that I'm ... sober

[mrmeval.livejournal.com]

I was being lazy. The calculator did show it with scientific notation but would paste out all the digits.

The gasoline figure is easy.

6.38 gigagallons. ;)