0
They burn up because of friction.
Friction. Meteors enter the atmosphere at phenomenal speeds, and the friction of the great speed through the atmosphere causes heat. The speed of the most recent Perseid meteors a couple of months ago was measured at 135,000 miles per hour.
It's because further out, the atmosphere is too thin to cause any warmth by friction, which is what makes the meteors burn.
Wiki User
∙ 7y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoThe short answer would be Friction. Any hard object moving through the atmosphere - even the very thin atmosphere at high altitudes - at 60,000 MPH is going to heat up dramatically from friction with that atmosphere. It heats up to the point of incandescence. It glows white hot, and evaporates, unless it's is large enough to sustain that level of heat so that some of it is left to hit the ground (which actually happens only rarely).
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoSmall to medium sized meteors burn up in the atmosphere because of compressive heating and friction. As the rock hits the tenuous upper atmosphere at faster than 50K miles per hour, the air can't get out of the way fast enough, and the rock pushes the air ahead of it, which its more air, and compresses the air to near-solid densities. Compression causes things to heat; that's why Scuba divers put their tanks in a cold bath of running water while filling them. So the air, and the meteor, heat to incandescence.
To a lesser extent, the friction of the rock moving PAST the air also causes heat, but the compression is by far the greater factor.
BIG rocks often survive to strike the Earth, or explode in the atmosphere. When they explode high enough, they are impressive but cause little damage. If they explode down low, it's like a nuclear bomb; when a meteor struck near the village of Tunguska, Siberia in 1908, the blast was felt for dozens of miles around, and was heard a thousand miles away.
And of course, if a big enough rock hits the ground, it will blast out a crater, like the Barringer Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoNo, at the start you must not see fit any various meteoroids
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoIt's because there are more air and gasses to cause friction/forces against the meteorite in the mesosphere than there are in the thermosphere.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoMeteors often burn up in the mesosphere
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Why is mesosphere important?
The mesosphere is important because metioroids burn up in this portion of the atmosphere stoping them from going to the earth.
What atmosphere layer is the space station in?
The space station layer is in the mesosphere.
Is George Burns single?
No, George Burns is not single.
In MASH what was Frank Burns's middle name?
Frank Burns's full name was Major Franklin DelanoMarion Burns.
What is the relationship between temperature and height in the -troposphere -stratosphere-mesosphere-thermosphere-exosphere?
stephen gwapo kaayo
What is the purpose of the mesosphere?
The mesosphere burns up meteors and keeps them from destroying the Earth's surface.
Which layer of the atmosphere burns up meteroids?
Mesosphere.
What are some characteristics of the Mesosphere?
it burns up all or most of the meteroids
What are some characteristics of mesosphere?
it burns up all or most of the meteroids
This middle is the coldest layer where meteors burn up?
Most meteors burn up in the mesosphere. The mesosphere starts at 31 miles above Earth's surface and goes up to 53 miles high.Meteors usually burn up in the mesosphere, in altitude from 75 km to 100 kmin earth atmosphere.as long as the meteor is small enough it burns up in earths atmoshere but rarly they dont burn up and make it though.Meteors burn up when the start coming through the atmosphere. They may burn up completely or land on the earth as tiny pieces.A meteor burns out in the sky and never hits the ground depending on what type of meteor it is.
How is the mesosphere heated?
The Mesosphere is the third layer in Earth's Atmosphere. It burns up most, Almost all, Of asteroids and meteors, Preventing them from reaching Earth's surface. Heat rises, so it would eventually get up there. The layer below the Mesosphere is the Stratosphere, which contains the Ozone Layer. The Stratosphere is heated by the Ozone Layer, And the Mesosphere is heated by the Stratosphere. Hope This Helps! :) Fellow 6th Grader
What is the third layer of the atmosphere from earth surface?
the third layer of the atmosphere would be the mesosphere. this is the layer that burns up the meteorites before they reach earth.
As you move up through the mesosphere the temperature?
As you move up through the mesosphere the temperature increases.
What layer burns meteroids?
The meteoroids mainly burn up in the mesosphere layer, between around 50 to 90 km in altitude. When seen burning up in the sky from earth they then are referred to as meteors.
What is the mesosphere made up?
The mesosphere is made up of plenty of things. It is underneath the asthenosphere and the lower part of the mantle. The mesosphere extends from the bottom of the asthenosphere to the earth's core. give me a piture. The mesosphere also means middle.
Why do meteors burn up in the Mesosphere?
Meteors burn up in the Mesosphere because of friction between the meteors and the molecules located here. The mesosphere is the coldest part of the Earth's atmosphere.
Do the meteors burn up in the mesosphere?
Meteors burn up in the Mesosphere because of friction between the meteors and the molecules located here. The mesosphere is the coldest part of the Earth's atmosphere.
