[meteorite-list] Meteorite finds per state? (In Area Per Meteorite Found)

[Paul H]

In
http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/meteorite-list/2004-December/147213.html
,
Frank Prochaska wrote:

>The size of the state (country, county, continent, 
>etc.) is only one factor in how many meteorites 
>are likely to be found there.  Other factors 
>include geography (flat, mountains), climate (dry, 
>wet), land use (forest, farming), population (a 
>few people per square mile, high population 
>density), etc.  These differences will also 
>contribute to the ratios of falls to finds, etc.
>Below is a quick count from the latest Catalog 
>of Meteorites (5th ed.).  This data is about 5 
>years old now, but is handy.

I found a listing of the area of each state in 
"Land and Water Area of States, 2000 (in square 
miles)" at:

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108355.html
http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0108355.html

Using the figures from XXX's post and the "total 
land area present within each state, I get the 
below number of meteorites per square mile for 
each state. The order in which data is listed 
is State; number of meteorites; (rank in total 
area of state); land area in square miles; 
(area in square miles per meteorite found).

Alabama  17  (30)  50,744  (2,985)
Alaska   3  (1)  571,951  (190,650)
Arizona  35 (6)  113,635  (3,247)
Arkansas  14  (29)  52,068  (3,719)
California  45  (3)  155,959  (3,464)

Colorado  73  (8)  103,717  (1,421)
Connecticut  4  (48)  4,845  (1,212)
Florida  4  (22)  53,927  (13,481)
Georgia  22  (24)  57,906  (2,632)
Hawaii  2  (43)  6,422  (3,211)

Idaho  6  (14)  82,747  (13,791)
Illinois  7  (25)  55,584  (7,940)
Indiana  12  (38)  35,866 (2,989)
Iowa  7  (26)  55,869  (7,981)
Kansas  133  (15)  81,814  (615)

Kentucky  26  (37)  39,728  (1,528)
Maine  5  (39)  30,861  (6,172)
Maryland  4  (42)  9,773  (2,443)
Massachusetts  1  (44)  7,840  (7,840)
Michigan  9  (11)  56,804  (6,311)

Minnesota  8  (12)  79,610  (9,951)
Mississippi  3  (32)  46,906  (15,635)
Missouri  20  (21)  68,886  (3,444)
Montana  5  (4)  145,552  (29,110)
Nebraska  46  (16)  76,872  (1,671)

Nevada  8  (7)  109,825  (13,728)
New Jersey  1  (47)  7,417  (7,417)
New Mexico  203  (5)  121,355  (598)
New York  11  (27)  47,213  (4,292)
North Carolina  29  (28) 48,710  (1,680)

North Dakota  10  (19)  68,976  (6,898)
Ohio  11  (34)  40,948  (3,722)
Oklahoma  37  (20)  68,667  (1,856)
Oregon  4  (9)  95,997  (23,999)
Pennsylvania  8  (33)  44,817  (5,602)

South Carolina  6  (40)  30,109  (5,018)
South Dakota  13  (17)  75,884   (5,837)
Tennessee  25  (36)  41,217  (1,649)
Texas  278  (2)  261,797  (942)
Utah  15  (13)  82,143  (5,476)

Virginia  12  (35)  39,594  (3,299)
Washington   6  (18)  66,544  (11,090)
West Virginia  3  (41)  24,078  (8,026)
Wisconsin  12  (23)  54,310  (4,526)
Wyoming  12  (10)  97,100  (8,091)

United States 1214  (n/a)  3,537,438  (2,913)

In 1990, there were three states with less 
than 1,000 square miles per found meteorite. 
They are New Mexico, Kansas, and Texas.

The states with less than 2,000 square miles 
per found meteorite in 1990 were Connecticut, 
Colorado, Kentucky, Tennessee, Nebraska, North 
Carolina, and Oklahoma.

>This is supposed to total 1214 meteorites, 
>though I could have missed one or two between 
>the states.  More have been found since 1999 
>of course, particularly in the desert 
>southwest.

This is true. Two have been found in 
Louisiana, which now makes Louisiana entry 
to be:

Louisiana  2  (31)  43,562  (21,781)

If there are now 13 known meteorites from 
Wyoming then, it is now:

Wyoming  13  (10)  97,100  (7,469)

In
http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/meteorite-list/2004-December/147215.html
,
Frank Prochaska also wrote:

>Dave is absolutely right!  Look at the numbers 
>for Kansas and Nebraska and then compare Iowa,

Kansas  - 615 square miles per found meteorite
Nebraska - 1,671 square miles per found meteorite
Iowa - 7,981 square miles per found meteorite

Best Regards,

Paul
Baton Rouge, LA



		
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