Speaker
Description
Atmospheric impacts pose a significant hazard even when an incoming object disintegrates before reaching Earth's surface. Historical events, including the 1908 Tunguska airburst and the 2013 Chelyabinsk superbolide, demonstrate the destructive potential of atmospheric shock waves and the importance of understanding how incoming asteroids deposit their kinetic energy. During hypersonic entry, meteoroids and small asteroids undergo ablation and fragmentation, generating shock waves that gradually weaken into low-frequency acoustic waves, known as infrasound, capable of propagating hundreds to thousands of kilometers. This presentation examines how multi-modal detections, including infrasound, optical, satellite, seismic, and radar observations, contribute to the detection and characterization of atmospheric impacts. Recent observational studies provide opportunities to investigate the physical processes governing atmospheric entry, evaluate empirical energy-estimation methods, and test theoretical models against independent measurements. Integrating these observational approaches improves the interpretation of atmospheric impact events, supports more reliable hazard assessments, and advances planetary-defense research.
SNL is managed and operated by NTESS under DOE NNSA contract DE-NA0003525. SAND2026-27954A