[meteorite-list] Meteorite Fall Rates

From: j.divelbiss_at_att.net <j.divelbiss_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Jun 16 22:56:42 2004
Message-ID: <061720040256.5517.40D10860000745430000158D21587667559C9C070D040A90070BD206_at_att.net>

Take your pick,

random rate ?
coincident that earth runs into the path of errant rocks in space !
chaos...meaning no pattern at all ?
happenstance (slang of course) ...sh_t happens
cyclic ? (based on what?)

or steady rate/average of falling material...just inconsistent witnessing and followup finds based on location?

Hmmmmm?,

John
PS Why does it seem like they fall in the same areas...and not eastern PA???? Why Why Why? sniff
 
-------------- Original message from "minador" : --------------
> Hi List,
>
> I agree with Walter on both points. I would throw "more meteorite
> awareness" in with the increase in population density. Does that sound
> reasonable?
>
> However, just because there is a lack of sample data, that doesn't mean
> there can't be a true increase of fall rate. I sometimes think that solar
> system is seen more static that it truly is. For instance, it's easy to
> talk about collisions now that we witnessed Shoemaker-Levy 9 smack into
> Jupiter. At least perhaps with novices like me. I'm sure scientist have
> been warning of such events for a long time now.
>
> This is a really interesting discussion. I hope a lot of you have time to
> write some comments...
>
> Mark Bowling
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: branchw_at_bellsouth.net
> To: Meteorite List
> Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 6:42 PM
> Subject: [meteorite-list] Meteorite Fall Rates
>
>
> Hello Everyone,
>
> Determining whether meteorite falls has remained constant over a given
> period of time is more difficult than it first appears. At least other two
> variables have to be considered.
>
> First, as I point out on my site, increasing population density may account
> for an increase in reported falls. If the fall rate truly is constant over
> say the past century, any increase in reported falls may be more of a
> function of more people covering a given area of the Earth's surface, than
> an actual increase in fall rate. An inverse correlation between population
> density and fall rate would be much more interesting.
>
> Also, there may be the problem of time sampling. Meteorites have been
> impacting the Earth for literally billions of years. The time of recorded
> human history is so small in comparison. The time that we have been
> interested in documenting falls smaller still. Any perceived (or even
> documented) increase or decrease in fall rate may simply be due to random
> fluctuations that, given a longer period of time, may prove to just be so
> much "noise" rather than a true signal.
>
> Much like my seti-at-home screen saver program. I sometimes see enormous
> changes in the frequency over a short period of time but overall, the curve
> plots a rather flat line :-(
>
> -Walter
> --------------------------------------------
> www.branchmeteorites.com
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________
> Meteorite-list mailing list
> Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
>
>
> ______________________________________________
> Meteorite-list mailing list
> Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/meteorite-list/attachments/20040617/fc26549c/attachment-0001.htm
Received on Wed 16 Jun 2004 10:56:34 PM PDT