Eli5 What happens to meteorites that leave craters?

Question

Whenever you see pictures of craters left behind by a meteor, all you can see is a big empty hole, but what happens to the meteor?

In: 1

Answer 1

Vaporized, melted, or otherwise obliterated.

Large space rocks come hauling in at 30,000 mph and hit the ground without bleeding off any speed on the entry.

The amount of energy released is comparable to a nuclear bomb, and they’re gone in an instant.

Very large impactors that cause mass extinction events go one step more violent and drive through the crust of the earth entirely, plunging into the mantle and leaving a gigantic molten pit.