The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-04-26

they left behind them have been obliterated by
wind and rain. 1t has been discovered very re-
Gently, however, that traces OF these craters may
sometimes be seen when viewed from aloft In an
alrpiane Several groups LOT them have been
found In America during the past two years
Where do meteortes come from? 1t Is sun
posed that they fragments OF comets which
have been torn apart by the powerful gravlya-
tion OF the and the larger planets OF the
solar system. The Leonids are believed to be
fragments OF Temples comet which has dsap-
peared like the meteor showers Another comet.
known as Blela's, was actually seen to break up
and finally to vanish entirely, but now we are
showered with unusually large number of
meteors whenever 1t should be In the neighbor-
hood OF our earth. according to the computations
of astronomers
How many meteortes have really hit the
earth7 Professor Nininger estimates that more
than $1,000 Of them have fallen on every square
mile OF the earth's surface since the mammoth
roamed the steaming forests of prehistoric times
Ihat means that the very ground on which we
walk Is made up largely of the dust into which
they have fallen.
Confirmation OF that belief Is seen In the the
DRY advanced recently by Ralph W. Stone. as
slstant state geoogist of Pennsylvania. that
coating OF meteorite dust 10 inches thick lies on
the surface OF the EARTH This coating Is an
accumulation OF 60,o0000O years or more he
says, ana IS constantly being increased, although
at such slow rate that 1t Is not noticeable
Out OF 47O meteorIte falls since meteorites be-
came known and accredited 125 years ago, $780,
900 individual meteorites have been recovered.
or an average OF 277 fall This figure supplies
one meteorc stone for each 400 square miles of
land surface OF the globe In century and a
quarter.
Most OF the falls were observed In areas OF
comparatively dense population and where sur
face conditions were favorable for observation
Of the landing and for recovery.
If we consider the 287 witnessed falls In Eu-
ropean countries. Russia, india Japan and the
United States. amounting to 129340 individual
meteorites or 45O stones a fall, In combined
area Of 100000 square miles. we have one me-
teorite for every 55h miles, Mr. Stone saws
During the lbs years only two falls from
which stones were recovered were observed In
the whole western third of the United States.
apparently due to spare population and the
nature OF the terrain. Although practically all
observed falls from which stones are recovered
occurred In daytime there is no reason for as
Stunning that falls are not just as frequent at
night
ON these assumptions 1t Is conservative to
estimate that In these twelve countries at lens
ten times as many meteorites fell as were recov-
cred, or one to each five and half square
miles,"
II the rate OF fall of the last century has
been constant, according to the assistant state
geologist, each square mile OF surface has re-
celved TIT meteoric units In the 100000 wears
since the beginning of tertiary times, on this
basis OF computation the earth received 1920
meteorltes square mile
THE weight OF the l29349 stones recovered |
he continued, was 1904 pounds This is a very
low average, since the larger stones usually bury |
themselves. but this figure gives about two
ounces stone
This would mean a hve-ton-a-s square |
average for the entire earth, In the last 125
years.
should we continue the computation for long. |
er periods we get into ponderable figures Then. |
II we figure not from the beginning OF the ter
tary time but from early Paleozlc time 80o-
100000 rather than 6O.0OO,oOO years ago, we get a
weight OF material which certainly would make |
the eartn Wabble on Its axis II concentrated In /
one spot on the surface
Besides the meteorites which land about a I
million an hour daily are consumed In our at
mosphere before striking the earth, Mr. Stone
estimates
considering FIVE pounds the average weight |
OF these, that would mean 10000 tons of mete- |
oric DUST sitting down daily Distributed over |
the globe. however, the result would be layer
one miilimeter thick In 10000 years. or blanket
~ ieet deep In 60.0000O0 years"
ehy Western Newspaper Union.