Assessment of Morelian Meteoroid Impact on Mexican Environment

M A Sergeeva ,Marni Pazos,Artem Mokhnatkin,Tatiana V Ishina,Isaac David Orrala-Legorreta,P Corona‐Romero ,E Romero‐Hernández ,B Mendoza ,R Caraballo ,J C Mejia‐Ambriz ,O A Maltseva ,M Rodríguez-Martínez ,Jose Juan Gonzalez-Aviles ,Raúl Gutiérrez ,L X González ,V V Demyanov ,Mark E Fedorov ,Артем Веснин ,E Aguilar‐Rodriguez ,E Cabral‐Cano ,Víctor José Gatica-Acevedo ,A González-Esparza

doi:10.3390/atmos12020185

Abstract

Possible ionospheric effects of the Morelian meteoroid that passed and exploded over Mexico on 19 February 2020 (18 February 2020 local time) were estimated. The meteoroid trajectory, velocity and time of occurrence were calculated based on outdoor camera records. Modeling was used to estimate the meteoroid initial diameter, density, mass, velocity, energy and their change during its flight in the atmosphere. The ensemble of ionospheric scintillation indices calculated from the high-rate GNSS data and the filtered slant Total Electron Content data were used to reveal the presence of ionospheric disturbances generated by shock waves excited by the meteoroid flight and explosion. The first ionospheric responses to phenomena accompanying the meteoroid were detected (2.5–3.5) min after the explosion. The disturbances were attenuated quickly with distance from their source and were rarely recorded by GNSS receivers located more than 600 km from the meteoroid explosion site. The ionospheric disturbances of intermediate-scale, small-scale, shock-acoustic-wave-scale and sometimes medium-scale were revealed. The detected disturbances corresponded to the range of acoustic-gravity waves. An asymmetry of the disturbance manifestation in different directions was observed. The obtained results are in accordance with results of the observation of other meteoroids. Although the object was smaller and of less energy than other known meteoroids, it is an interesting case because, to the best of our knowledge, it isthe first known to us low-latitude meteoroid with the detected ionospheric effects.

Highlights

The Earth’s atmosphere protects us from extraterrestrial bodies that pass near our planet at low heights above the ground
A meteoroid that passes through the ionosphere and explodes in the lower atmosphere can provoke shock-acoustic waves (SAW)
This study discusses the possibility of the Morelian meteoroid impact on the lowlatitude ionosphere (Mexico) under solar minimum conditions

Summary

Introduction

The Earth’s atmosphere protects us from extraterrestrial bodies (meteoroids) that pass near our planet at low heights above the ground. Meteoroids causing meteors enter the atmosphere at speeds ranging between 11.2 and 72.5 km/s. On the evening side of the Earth, meteoroids must catch up to the Earth’s atmosphere to cause a meteor, and tend to be slow. Large meteoroids burning only on the outside lose their speed and usually split apart in the air becoming meteorites. Many meteoroids are too small and usually burn up in the atmosphere, not reaching the surface of the Earth. DTeermanindatdoruration if compared to much less intense short-time local effects that poss couldIfhaamveeteboereonidppraosdsaugceeadndbyexspmloasilolnmoectceuorsroaitdsus.nTrihseeroerfsournes,eitn, ththeepafisrssatgeapofptrhoeximatio sseoelamr steprmosinsaibtolresthoouseldpbaeratatkeetnhiensteo atwccooutnytpaessitocfanimbepoancetso.f GW sources and cause some disturbances in the ionosphere observed in sTEC variations [7,19].

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