It is assumed that the object can be monolithic. If that’s the case, then the strength of the material played an important role in the collapse of the object and the generation of the blast wave, the scientists said.
In simulations, the researchers found that an air blast occurs when large cracks form behind a meteoroid. The forward crack propagation time scale determines when the object breaks into smaller pieces. The destruction of a meteorite might look like this:
The scientists also explained that the larger an object’s surface area, the more heat, stress and pressure it experiences as it passes through Earth’s atmosphere. That is, a large asteroid will have more serious consequences when falling.
Source: Ferra
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