Yes, sometimes they did.
The Meteor Crater in Arizona was formed around 50,000 years ago when a large meteorite struck the Earth. It is one of the best-preserved impact craters on Earth and is estimated to be around 50,000 years old.
craters
By Asteroids/Meteors crashing into Mars. These same objects crash imnto the Moon and Earth. On the Moon there is no atmosphere/watwer to erode away craters, so they are seen quite clearly. However, in Earth there are just as many meteors crashes. However, the Earth's atmosphere and water erode these crash sites so we do not clearly see meteor crash sites on Earth.
Large craters on Earth are often formed by the impact of meteorites or asteroids. When a large space rock collides with Earth's surface at high velocity, it creates a crater by excavating and displacing the surrounding material. The force of the impact can lead to the formation of a circular depression with distinctive features.
The large indentation on the surface of the moon areÊcalled craters. It is a circular depression in the surface of the moon and other solid body in the solar system.Ê
Craters with a large central peak and high rim walls are easily identified as impact craters. Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona is one example. It's central peak has eroded over the years, but it's rim rises 150 feet above the surrounding terrain.
The Copernicus crater on the moon was formed by a large impact event, likely from an asteroid or comet colliding with the lunar surface. The impact created a circular depression that we see as the crater today.
When a meteor hits the Earth, it may form a meteorite, a crater, or airburst. A meteorite is a piece of rock or metal that has fallen to Earth from space. MeteoriteOpens in a new window Meteorite A crater is a large, bowl-shaped depression in the ground that is formed when a meteor impacts the Earth. CraterOpens in a new window Crater An airburst is a phenomenon that occurs when a meteor explodes in the atmosphere before it reaches the ground. AirburstOpens in a new window Airburst The type of impact feature that is formed depends on the size and speed of the meteor, as well as the composition of the ground that it hits. Smaller meteors that hit the Earth at high speeds tend to vaporize completely, leaving no impact feature behind. Larger meteors that hit the Earth at slower speeds may form craters. The largest craters on Earth are thought to have been formed by asteroids, which are much larger than meteors. Airbursts are most likely to occur when a meteor enters the Earth's atmosphere at a very high speed. The heat generated by the meteor's passage through the atmosphere can cause it to explode before it reaches the ground. Airbursts can cause significant damage, but they do not typically leave any impact feature behind. The impact of a meteor on Earth can have a number of consequences, including: The formation of a crater or airburst The release of dust and debris into the atmosphere The potential for widespread damage or destruction The impact of a meteor on Earth is a rare event, but it is a potential hazard that should be taken into account.
craters :]
A large meteor strike on the earth might cause a crateron the surface. If it struck the water, it may leave a bit of a crater in the sea floor, depending on the size and velocity and composition of the meteor and the depth of the sea where it impacted. If it hit land, there'd be a big "dent" in the ground where the missle and the blast of impact gouged it out.
Most craters are caused by meteorites crashing to the planet. However, some volcanoes when formed, look like craters.
Technically, once a meteor reachest the surface, it is no longer a mateor but a meteorite. In very large impacts, the impacting object can be vaporized by the heat generate. Smaller objects may be shattered by the force of impact or buried as the side of the crater collapse. Additionaly, to the untrained eye, a meteorite can be hard to distinguish from an ordinary rock.