[meteorite-list] Question/Concern

From: Steve Witt <stelor96_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:43:33 2004
Message-ID: <20010723051408.8244.qmail_at_web9603.mail.yahoo.com>

 
 
     Greetings List,

   I don't know if this question (subject) has been discussed before,
if it was I don't remember it.

   In the past, to get statistics on meteorite falls, ie; number of
falls of stones vs. irons, ordinary chondrites vs. achondrites. What
percentage were HED's, SNC's etc.. I assume (and please correct me if
I'm wrong) that this inforation was gleaned from Meteoritical
Bulletins from the Met.Soc. or from catalogues of meteorites, which
again, I assume get their information from the same source.

   My concern is that it seems to me that of all the meteorites
coming out of Africa, the Saharas, the NWA's, the Dag's etc. the
majority of the ones that are getting analysed and authenticated and
classified, therefore getting names, making them "offical meteorites"
are the rarer ones. Carbonaceous chondrites, HED's, SNC's,
Achondrites etc etc..

   Is anyone else concerned about what this is going to do to
statistics for falls in the future? Are future collectors going to
think that for some strange reason that more "rare" meteorites fell
or were found in the 1990's and 2010's. It just seems to me that this
is a problem that needs to be addressed. I myself don't know the
answer. Maybe labs that do analysis, verification and classification
should be working to analyse as many OC's as they do the exotics. I
would really appreciate some input on this. Thanks in advance.

                         Steve

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Received on Mon 23 Jul 2001 01:14:08 AM PDT