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When a meteoroids (a small piece of rock or debris from outer space) enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it begins to warm up and glow due to friction with air molecules. These glowing trails of hot gas are called meteors or shooting stars.
If size meteoroids large enough and not completely burned up in the atmosphere, it can hit the surface of the Earth. Term for meteoroids that reach the ground are meteorites.
Meteorites have a variety of materials that form them, including rock, iron, and iron-stone. Stony meteorites are the most common type and are composed primarily of silicate minerals. Iron meteorites consist primarily of iron and nickel, while iron-stone meteorites contain a mixture of the two.
When a meteorite hits Earth, it can create a crater and cause significant damage depending on its size and speed. The impacts can generate seismic waves, similar to earthquakes, and raise dust and debris that can block sunlight and cause a temporary cooling effect on our planet.
Scientists study meteorites as well to learn more about the composition and history of the solar system. Meteorites can provide clues about the formation of planets, asteroids and comets. Some meteorites contain organic molecules, such as amino acids, which are the building blocks of life. The findings so far have led to the hypothesis that a meteorite impact may have contributed to the origin of life on Earth.
Dinosaur
The extinction of the dinosaurs, along with many other species, around 66 million years ago, is believed to have been caused by a massive meteorite impact. The impacted location is near the Yucatan Peninsula, present-day Mexico and created a crater more than 160 kilometers wide.
This impact is believed to have caused a series of catastrophic events, including massive wildfires, tsunamis, and a global winter caused by dust and debris being thrown into the atmosphere, blocking sunlight. This condition caused a mass extinction on earth, destroying more than 75% of plant and animal species including dinosaurs.
This event is known as the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, and is considered one of the most significant natural events in the history of life on Earth. The meteorite impact at that time is believed to have released enormous energy, equivalent to billions of atomic bombs. The impact site, known as the Chicxulub crater, was discovered in the 1990s and confirmed as the site of the impact of the meteorite that caused the extinction.
The effects of the blow were far-reaching and lasted a long time. Forest fires caused by the fall of the meteorite released huge amounts of smoke and soot into the atmosphere, causing darkness and lowering of the air temperature for several months. The tsunami caused by the impact devastated coastal areas, causing widespread flooding and damage. The dust and debris thrown into the atmosphere would block sunlight, causing a global winter that lasted for years.
2023-07-03 11:51:50
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