14-year-old hit by 30,000 mph space meteorite

Saturday, June 13, 2009

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/science/space/5511619/14-year-old-hit-by-30000-mph-space-meteorite.html

Ansgar Kortem, director of Germany's Walter Hohmann Observatory, said: "Most don't actually make it to ground level because they evaporate in the atmosphere. Of those that do get through, about six out of every seven of them land in water," he added.“

Huh?

Six out of seven?

I always thought that about 70% of the surface is covered with salt-water oceans.

Six out of seven gives 85%.

A quick search of the Internet ( http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/oceans.htm ) confirms my figure of 71%, and turns up a figure of 3% of the earth’s surface being drinkable water.

That’s 3% of the total water.

As usual, I’m skeptical of quotations like that.

Does the World’s Atlas really mean that 3% of 71% of the earth’s surface is fresh water, or do they mean that (71%-3%)=68% is salt water?

In any event, how would you explain the discrepancy between 85% and 71%?

Don’t click here until you have thought about it.

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