In which atmospheric layer do most meteors burn up?

In which atmospheric layer do most meteors burn up?

• A. Troposphere
• B. Stratosphere
• C. Mesosphere
• D. Thermosphere

Answer: (C)

Meteors burn up mainly where atmospheric drag heats them most efficiently as they plunge into the atmosphere. The mesosphere sits at roughly 50–85 kilometers up, where the air is dense enough to create rapid ablation but not so dense that the meteor would decelerate and survive intact. That combination produces the intense heating that vaporizes or breaks apart most meteoroids. In the thermosphere the air is too thin for significant ablation, and by the time anything reaches the lower layers like the troposphere, most small meteoroids have already burned away. So the meteors typically burn up in the mesosphere.

Meteors burn up mainly where atmospheric drag heats them most efficiently as they plunge into the atmosphere. The mesosphere sits at roughly 50–85 kilometers up, where the air is dense enough to create rapid ablation but not so dense that the meteor would decelerate and survive intact. That combination produces the intense heating that vaporizes or breaks apart most meteoroids. In the thermosphere the air is too thin for significant ablation, and by the time anything reaches the lower layers like the troposphere, most small meteoroids have already burned away. So the meteors typically burn up in the mesosphere.