How does a planet's atmosphere affect its number of impact craters?

Answer 1

An atmosphere will lessen both the amount and size of impact craters by burning meteoroids so they get smaller or even disappear entirely. If there is no atmosphere, the object will simply hit the planet or moon with no reduction in its size. Earth's atmosphere does this because the air molecules create friction when the meteoroid passes through it. The friction is hot enough to burn the meteoroid up entirely or at least down in size. An atmosphere means fewer and smaller meteoroids. (When a meteoroid does make it to the ground, it then is called a meteorite.)

Answer 2

Impact craters are the effect on Earth of an impactor from space. If the impactor is large enough, geological evidence is that the formation of the crater could cause environmental damage, by drastically affecting the climate.

Older craters also affect the climate because many become depressions that form shallow bays.

Answer 3

Asteroids and comets that strike the atmosphere of a planet or moon are exposed to high temperatures and stresses due to air resistance. This heat and stress is enough to incinerate of disintegrate some of the smaller objects. Fragments that do reach the surface are often moving a terminal velocity; too slow to make a crater. Larger objects are less affected and can reach the surface intact to form craters.

Answer 4

planets with atmospheres are more active because atmospheres trap air and heat in and if the atmosphere is just right life can thrive such as out planet. planets with no atmospheres are basically barren and frozen wastelands like pluto.

Answer 5

The atmosphere acts as a shield.

Each time an object enters the atmosphere, friction creates heat and the object is completely burned up before reaching the ground or is substantially reduced in size and thus able to make less of a crater on impact.

In addition, where there is an atmosphere there is weather and erosion, so the older craters are worn away, leaving fewer to be seen ant any one time.

Answer 6

It's because craters are formed when meteorites crash into the surface at high speeds of tens of kilometres per second. With an atmosphere the meteors tend to be broken up and burned up as they slow down in the atmosphere, so there is usually nothing left to hit the ground.

Answer 7

The absence of impact craters indicate the that there are active forces that have recently or are currently altering or replacing the surface. Namely erosion and egologic processes. Impacts still occur and craters still form, but these craters are effectively erased relatively quickly. An aubdance of impact craters indicates that there are few active forces that would destroy impact craters, and so the planet is, form the most part, geologically dead. On such objects, some craters are billions of years old. By contrast, on a geologically active planet such as earth, an impact crater more than a few million years old can be difficult to identify.

Answer 8

The planets with atmospheres have less of a dramatic temperature change between day and night because the atmosphere can hold in heat. Planets without atmospheres lose their heat at night.

Answer 9

Craters on planets are a result of being struck by asteroids.

Answer 10

Mercury.