Airburst

An airburst is an explosive release of energy when a cosmic body breaks apart in an atmosphere before reaching the ground. It can produce a powerful blast without forming an impact crater.

Atmospheric entry: The passage of an object from space into a planet’s atmosphere. Frictional heating and aerodynamic pressure begin the process that can culminate in an airburst.
Tunguska event: A 1908 explosion over Siberia that flattened trees across a vast area without leaving a confirmed impact crater. It is the classic example of a large airburst causing severe ground damage.
Infrasound: Sound waves with frequencies below the range of human hearing. Airburst blast waves can travel long distances as detectable low-frequency signals.
Impact event: A collision in which a celestial body strikes a planetary surface. Unlike an airburst, a surface impact deposits substantial energy at the ground and may excavate a crater.
Atmospheric drag: The force exerted by an atmosphere on an object moving through it. Drag slows an incoming body and transfers energy to the surrounding air.
Chelyabinsk meteor: A 2013 asteroid airburst over Russia that generated a bright flash and damaging shock wave. Its blast injured people mainly through shattered window glass.
Seismic monitoring: The use of ground-motion measurements to detect and analyze seismic events. Airbursts can couple energy into the ground, producing signals in seismic stations.
Meteorite: A fragment of a meteoroid that survives passage through an atmosphere and reaches the ground. Meteorites can reach the surface after partial breakup, whereas an airburst may consume the body aloft.
Dynamic pressure: The pressure associated with the motion of a fluid relative to an object. Rising dynamic pressure can exceed a body's strength and trigger fragmentation.
2008 TC3: A small asteroid discovered before it entered Earth's atmosphere and exploded over Sudan in 2008. Recovered meteorites linked the observed airburst to material from its parent asteroid.

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