[meteorite-list] Meteorite Collecting Ban

From: Starbits_at_aol.com <Starbits_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:16:31 2004
Message-ID: <1e6.ea42873.2c66c74d_at_aol.com>

In a message dated 8/8/2003 12:25:16 PM US Mountain Standard Time,
jgrossman_at_usgs.gov writes:

<< You are right; it is hard to compare the statistics.>

I had waited to reply hoping for additional statistics from Bernd (I don't
envy you the updating task), but here goes. I have rearranged parts of Jeff's
email to make it easier for me to answer. If I have taken anything out of
context I apologize in
advance.

<But let's face it... you can't
 get even close to statements that were made indicating that 95% of new
 meteorites are commercially collected ones.>

I agree completely. However this comment line was started in response to
comments supporting a collecting ban by individuals who believe the
collector/dealer/hunter's contributions are insignificant and completely
irrelevant to scientific endevors. That isn't supported by the statistics
either.

<As for rare meteorites, which I will define as non-ordinary-chondrites,
 there are 1550 from Antarctica and 467 from commercial collections.>

Let's refine the numbers a bit. Pretty much the start of hot desert
collecting
was in 1998. Of the numbers you quote above how many are since the start
of 1998? Do the same pairing numbers Lindstrom estimated apply to the
non-ordinary-chondrites? I don't have access to a database so Jeff if you
could let us know I would appreciate it.

<Meteorites that formed strewn fields get just as many
 numbers in the Sahara as in Antarctica (one per specimen).>

I was under the impression that each specimen gets a separate designation
in antarctica. If there was a witnessed fall in Antarctica such as bensour
in Africa would it get a single name and entry in the catalog listing or would
each stone found get a separate designation and entry?



I can't make that estimate. That is one of the reasons that I asked about
the total
mass of Antarctic meteorites. Statistically it would be reasonable to
assume the
ratio of OCs to other meteorite types would be similar. Certainly
differences in weathering will affect the numbers some, but in gross approximation they
should
be somewhat similar. If there is 10 or 100 times as much mass coming out of
the hot desert there should be 10 or 100 times the rare stuff, or at least 2
to 20 times. High mass strewn fields certainly could affect the statistics
however neither region has many iron meteorites which would be most likely
to affect the approximation. Stony falls aren't big enough that one fall
should
affect the gross approximation that much.

Eric Olson
http://www.star-bits.com
Received on Sat 09 Aug 2003 05:53:17 PM PDT