What prevented the 1908 Tunguska event in Siberia from leaving an impact crater?
Answer
The object fragmented in the atmosphere
The Tunguska event involved a bolide, likely a few dozen meters in diameter, that exploded mid-air before reaching the ground. Because the object fragmented in the atmosphere rather than hitting the surface intact, it failed to produce a traditional crater. However, the force of the resulting airburst was powerful enough to generate seismic waves and flatten thousands of square kilometers of forest.
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