AW: [meteorite-list] Statistics for falls

From: Marc D. Fries <m.fries_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Jun 17 09:49:47 2004
Message-ID: <1864.10.17.14.1.1087480176.squirrel_at_webmail.ciw.edu>

Here's a couple of observations from the meteorite fall data set provided
earlier... Be advised that I haven't added Joern's data in.

1) You can get a little wacky with it and fit a pretty nice-looking 6th
order polynomial, which may be short-period variation or just another case
of "oooh; pretty fit!!" syndrome
2) There are no real low-value anomalies, but several prominent spikes in
the data (collisions in the asteroid belt? meteorite clusters? orbital
just-right-edness?)
3) The overall trend is for a decreasing number of falls, not increasing.
This in spite of the fact that information distribution is easier and
faster nowadays than ever before. Additionally, there are more people
alive today than in 1900 and so more potential witnesses. I'm inclined to
believe that the number of falls is truly decreasing.

Good stuff! Any thoughts?

Cheers,
MDF

-- 
Marc D. Fries, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Carnegie Institution of Washington
Geophysical Laboratory
5251 Broad Branch Rd. NW
Washington, DC 20015
PH:  202 478 7970
FAX: 202 478 8901

Received on Thu 17 Jun 2004 09:49:36 AM PDT