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Why do most meteoroids burn up before reaching Earth’s surface?

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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.

Most meteoroids burn up before reaching Earth’s surface due to the intense heat generated during their high-velocity entry into the atmosphere.12

As a meteoroid enters the atmosphere, it travels at velocities ranging from 11.2 km per second to as high as 72 km per second. This rapid movement causes an energetic collision with atmospheric atoms and molecules, which creates significant friction. The meteoroid's kinetic energy is converted into heat, which is sufficient to vaporize and ionize the surface material of the object.12

This process, known as ablation, combined with fragmentation caused by extreme aerodynamic pressure, destroys the vast majority of meteoroids before they can reach the ground. Only those with specific characteristics—such as a large initial mass, high crushing strength, or a relatively low entry velocity—are likely to survive this fiery passage to become meteorites.1