Russia Meteor Created 'Dust Belt' In Stratosphere for Months

The Chelyabinsk meteor in Russia last year (the one whose air burst was strong enough to cause some damage on the ground) left a belt of dust in the atmosphere that is still there. The dust trail has since circled the Earth, and can still be tracked by satellites:

The schoolbus-sized meteor that exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk in February left a lot of things in its wake: more than 1,000 injured people and more than $33 million in damage. The meteor also left behind another telltale sign of its passing -- a dusty layer in the stratosphere persisting for months, which scientists now say they’ve been able to track with satellites.

The Chelyabinsk meteor rocketed down from space, reaching the blisteringly fast speed of 41,600 miles per hour before exploding 14.5 miles above the city. The meteor’s fiery death released an energy equivalent to more than 30 times the power of the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. While some pieces of the meteor fell to Earth, they weren't directly responsible for injuries or damage. Virtually all of the injuries recorded from the meteor weren't from the rock itself, but from secondary effects like broken windows. Much of the obliterated meteor dispersed into the sky as dust.

Source


It's amazing how one relative small meteor ("small" meaning not large enough to remain intact enough to cause any impact damage) could leave behind a dust cloud for 6 months. Just think what a major impact event would leave in our atmosphere -- dust that can affect climate.

I think that is kinda neat. Funny that it took so long for them to leave this information out to the public. I suppose it takes a lot of time for them to analyze the situation properly. You cannot jump to conclusions and spook the public I suppose.

Very interesting info, I find that whole incident fascinating.

Funny how they can track and show us these microscopic particles in the atmosphere, but their ability to track, or rather publish ongoing radioactive fallout from Fukushima pales by comparison.

reply to post by Soylent Green Is People


Really impressive!
I'm with you on this.
Imagine if something bigger.....
S&f.

reply to post by Soylent Green Is People


Huh funny, I put the following thread in Skunk Works just an hour before you posted yours:

Russia/China: Record Floods After Joint Military Exercises In Meteor Hit Chelyabinsk - A Connection?


I didn't even bother to check for news on the Chelyabinsk meteor as my "pattern recognition" was set off by the following sequence of events:

Feb 15 Chelyabinsk meteor

Jul 5 - 12 Chinese/Russian "Joint Sea-2013" drill in Peter the Great Bay, Sea of Japan

Jul 27 - Aug 15 Chinese/Russian "Peace Mission-2013" in Russia's Chelyabinsk

End of July until NOW - Unusually heavy rainfall followed by Record Floods in Russia/China border area


Anyway, S&F for the update on the Chelyabinsk meteor!