稠密地震観測網記録による火球経路の決定

概要

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Fireballs, which are caused by high-velocity passages of meteorites through the atmosphere, generate shock waves. It has been known that such shock waves are often recorded on seismograms. It is possible to determine the trajectories and the sizes of a fireball using seismological records. We have searched shock wave signals from many bright fireballs observed in the period from September 1996 to November 1998, and the 1999 Kobe meteorite. The shock waves from one large fireball, which is called the Miyako fireball, and the Kobe meteorite are clearly recorded on many seismograms. In particular, the shock waves from the former fireball are widely recorded by the dense seismic array of 1997-98 joint seismic observations in the Tohoku Backbone Range. We determine their trajectories. Amplitudes of the shock waves are found to be possibly correlated with the masses of the meteorites. It is also indicated that the shock waves from fireballs, which are darker than brightness magnitude -10, are too weak to be recognized on the seismograms of ordinary seismic stations in Japan.