How does a meteoroid impact resemble, yet fundamentally differ from, sustained fire on Mars?
Answer
It generates intense, localized heat and shockwaves that are over almost instantly.
Incoming space debris bombarding Mars generates localized thermal events upon impact. This process creates intense, localized heat and shockwaves right at the point of collision. While this is a momentary thermal event, it is fundamentally different from a sustained fire because it is extremely brief; the event concludes almost immediately as the meteoroid vaporizes or disintegrates. Crucially, it leaves no residue of a continuing blaze, unlike a macroscopic fire that relies on a steady supply of fuel and oxidizer.
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