From:      skunk-works-digest-owner@harbor.ecn.purdue.edu
To:        skunk-works-digest@harbor.ecn.purdue.edu
Subject:   Skunk Works Digest V4 #133
Reply-To:  skunk-works-digest@harbor.ecn.purdue.edu
Errors-To: skunk-works-digest-owner@harbor.ecn.purdue.edu
Precedence: bulk

Skunk Works Digest        Sunday, 30 January 1994      Volume 04 : Number 133

In this issue:

	East Coast booms: not a new thing
	Is There A Digest?

See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the skunk-works
or skunk-works-digest mailing lists and on how to retrieve back issues.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: THOMSONAL@CPVA.SAIC.COM
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 1994 17:57:51 -0800 (PST)
Subject: East Coast booms: not a new thing

    As noted in earlier postings, mysterious booms, rumblings and so on 
are not a new thing along the east coast of North America (or elsewhere, 
for that matter).  After the outbreak of booms in the mid-1970s, 
Sandra Clafin-Chalton and Gordon MacDonald wrote a book on the subject 
called "Sound and Light Phenomena: a Study of Historical and Modern 
Occurrences,"  which was published by the MITRE Corporation in November 
of 1978. It doesn't seem to have an ISBN, but the Library of Congress
catalogue card number is 78-65256.  It may be that copies are still 
available from the address given in the book: The MITRE Corporation,
1620 Dolley Madison Boulevard, McLean, VA, 22102.
 
Here is the abstract:
 
   Approximately two thirds of 594 separate unusual noise events 
   reported along the east coast of Canada and the United States 
   in the period December 2, 1977, to May 31, 1978, can be 
   attributed to the operation of supersonic aircraft. Most of 
   the remaining 181 events are believed to have a natural 
   origin. This conclusion is in accord with thousands of 
   historical accounts of booms not associated with thunderstorms 
   and related weather activity. The historical association of 
   some booms with earthquakes suggests that the booms may result 
   from disturbances in the earth's crust leading to explosive 
   releases of gases some of which may be combustible. In many 
   cases, for example the Ramapo fault earthquake of June 30, 
   1978, the sounds precede the earth quake shock by seconds. In 
   other cases, booms are heard for long periods prior to an 
   earthquake, while other booms show no clear relation to 
   observed earthquakes. 
 
[Another possibility for some booms, I would think, are the recently 
discovered kiloton-range high altitude explosions of frangible meteors.] 
 

------------------------------

From: rb3@aol.com
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 94 01:28:48 EST
Subject: Is There A Digest?

Greetings Skunkers,

    Long time no skunkworks for me; I just rejoined after an eight month
hiatus now that I have email access again.  I'm writing to say how much I
missed my daily doses of aerophilia and also how pleased I am to be back. 
Any interesting revelations since mid-May?  If so, I'd love to hear about
them.  Sadly I do not have FTP access these days, so I cannot peruse the back
issues.  Before I take any more of your time, one last question - is there
still a daily digest as opposed to individual messages?  Currently I am
receiving multiple messages a day, and America Online's archaic and poky mail
system would deal more happily with one message that many.  If there is a
digest still, could someone please send me the details?  Many thanks,

Ran Barton

           |
          /0\
\_______[|(.)|]_______/
  o   ++   0   ++   o

 - Phantoms Phorever -

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End of Skunk Works Digest V4 #133
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