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How can a meteor explosion shake the ground and be detected by seismometers?

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Meteor and meteoroid The Cabin Creek meteorite, an iron (nickel-iron alloy) meteorite that was observed to fall in northwestern Arkansas on March 27, 1886. Its characteristic pattern of “thumbprint” dimples, or regmaglypts, is the result of melting and consequent ablation of its surface as it traveled through the atmosphere. The meteorite is likely a fragment of one of the M class asteroids, which show significant nickel-iron in their surface material.

When a meteoroid enters Earth's atmosphere at high velocity, its kinetic energy is converted into heat and pressure through friction with atmospheric gases. As the object travels through the atmosphere, it pushes aside the air in its path, which can generate a powerful shock wave in the air ahead of it.1

This shock wave is a region of sudden, violent change in pressure, density, and temperature. When a meteoroid reaches lower altitudes—typically around 40 km—the resulting shock wave can propagate all the way to the ground. These waves can produce sounds similar to thunder or sonic booms, and if the energy release is sufficiently intense, the pressure waves are strong enough to shake the ground. These ground vibrations can then be detected and recorded by seismometers designed to monitor earthquakes. In cases of catastrophic fragmentation or large explosions, the energy released can be equivalent to kilotons or even megatons of TNT, creating shock waves capable of causing significant physical effects on the surface.21