New methodology to determine the terminal height of a fireball

Abstract

Despite ablation and drag processes associated with atmospheric entry of meteoroids were a subject of intensive study over the last century, little attention was devoted to interpret the observed fireball terminal height. This is a key parameter because it not only depends on the initial mass, but also on the bulk physical properties of the meteoroids and hence of their ability to ablate in the atmosphere. In this work we have developed a new approach that is tested using the fireball terminal heights observed by the Meteorite Observation and Recovery Project operated in Canada between 1970-1985 (hereafter referred as MORP). We then compare them to the calculation made. Our results clearly show that the new methodology is able to forecast the degree of deepening of meteoroids in the Earth's atmosphere. Then, this approach has important applications in predicting the impact hazard from cm- to meter-sized bodies that are represented, in part, in the MORP bolide list.

26 pages, 5 figures, 1 table

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Orbit and dynamic origin of the recently recovered Annama's H5 chondrite
• The January 7, 2015, superbolide over Romania and structural diversity of meter-sized asteroids
• Determining fireball fates using the $\alpha$-$\beta$ criterion
• Annama H chondrite - mineralogy, physical properties, cosmic ray exposure, and parent body history
• The Fireball of November 24, 1970, as the Most Probable Source of the Ischgl Meteorite