[meteorite-list] Some thoughts on find coords

From: Pat Brown <scientificlifestyle_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2012 19:44:42 -0700
Message-ID: <BLU171-W7789CDE264E554A39238A8BDAE0_at_phx.gbl>

Hi Rob,?

Thank you for a wise, logical and well?balanced?response.?

We do need to maximize the accuracy and volume of the data for science and at the same time allow?
the hunters in the field some level of confidentiality of the find coordinate data.?

This said, it is commendable when individuals do share exact find coordinates shortly after the find?
with other serious hunters as long as this does not devolve the field work into a circus.?

With Best Regards, ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Pat?

----------------------------------------
> Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2012 15:35:00 -0700
> From: ROBERT.D.MATSON at saic.com
> To: doug at dougross.net; meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> CC: chief_scientist at galacticanalytics.com
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Some thoughts on find coords
>
> Hi All,
>
> I would concur with Doug Ross's and Mike Miller's take on the meteorite
> coordinate publication problem, and would opine that the least-offending
> solution is to embargo coordinates for some period of time to respect
> the
> efforts of hard-working meteorite hunters while still satisfying the
> scientific community. In the (rare) case of a meteorite fall for which
> radar data exists, the general search area and trend line are well known
> --
> at least to those who know how to download and interpret said data, or
> have been willing to pay those who do. But even with such information in
> hand, there are classical meteorite hunting skills that relatively few
> people possess.
>
> With the understanding that there can be significant "clustering" of
> meteorites in a fall, I don't know that I would be particularly thrilled
> if a tyro was shadowing me in the field based on coordinates of a
> fresh find I had made a day or two earlier. Aside from the overall
> "fairness" aspect of the situation, it is a guaranteed distraction to
> hunting efficiency if you are constantly wondering whether you are
> covering ground that someone else has already searched.
>
> But perhaps more to the heart of the matter, there is really no
> scientific urgency in making exact find coordinates public when the
> radar returns for a fall can span over 20 square kilometers. If
> anything, published coordinates can actually be a scientific hindrance,
> because the overall search area will not be covered as thoroughly when
> people choose to concentrate their efforts on where the latest find
> happened to be made.
>
> On a final note, I would like to think that the promise of embargoing
> find coordinates for some period of time would be more conducive to
> accurate reporting of those coordinates (though still no guarantee).
> When people are pressured into reporting coordinates before they
> are ready, they will fudge -- even independent of any find location
> legal issue. If scientists want to maximize data accuracy and
> completeness, they cannot ignore human psychology. Fairness and
> proportionate compensation are just as relevant to meteorite hunting
> as any other competitive human endeavor.
>
> Good Hunting to All,
> Rob
>
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Received on Fri 07 Sep 2012 10:44:42 PM PDT