What do asteroid strikes, ancient glaciers and landslides have in common? They can all be studied at the Heavy ion Accelerator Facility (HIAF) using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS).

In this episode of MegaVolts, UNSW Professor Tim Barrows – an earth scientist – shares his work using HIAF’s AMS to reveal the history of the earth’s surface: scraped by glaciers, crumbled in landslides and pounded by asteroids.

He reveals how the incredible sensitivity of AMS has put to rest a number of controversies, and also reassured governments building in mountainous areas.

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