Comment on the Paper “On the Influx of Small Comets into the Earth's Upper Atmosphere II. Interpretation” by L. A. Frank, J. B. Sigwarth, and J. D. Craven

It is unlikely that the dust mantles of small comets (cometary mass ∼105 kg, earth impact rate ∼20 per minute) suppress the evaporation of gases into the solar wind. An order-of-magnitude argument based on comet sizes, densities, and meteoritic dust influx indicate a maximum thickness for the mantles of ∼200 µm. A much more reasonable estimate gives a thickness of ∼0.2 µm. The mantles must be considered too thin to prevent the enrichment of the solar wind by evaporation.