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Antarctica - Part 4

Smithsonian Contributions to the Earth Sciences, Number 23

Catalog of Antarctic Meteorites, 1977-1978

Curation and Allocation Procedures

D. D. Bogard and J.O. Annexstad

Meteorites collected near Allan Hills, Antarctica, in the 1977-1978
field season were packaged in specially prepared containers and were
returned to the Curatorial Facility of the NASA Johnson Space Center
(JSC) at temperatures below 0°C. The meteorites were unpacked,
photographed, and processed at the Curatorial Facility by procedures
that drew on experience gained from the processing of lunar samples.
This section describes the return and initial curation of the 1977-1978
meteorite collection.
The JSC Curatorial Facility supplied the U.S.-Japanese field party, led
by W.A. Cassidy, with four metal boxes (each about 60 x 60 x 90 cm) and
an assortment of cleaned teflon bags, aluminum foil, numbered aluminum
tags, and teflon tape. Two cleaned metal cans with air-tight seals were
also supplied in case particularly rare or friable meteorites were
found. The teflon bags, aluminum, and cans were cleaned to the same
specifications used in processing lunar samples. All of these materials
were tested in a cold room at -23°C before they were sent to McMurdo
Station.
As the meteorites were discovered in the field they were wrapped in
teflon bags, sealed with tape, and packed into padded metal boxes. Many
of the smaller specimens were packaged several to a bag, but most of the
larger ones were placed in individual bags. The two carbonaceous
chondrites were sealed inside the two metal cans.
Although an effort was made to keep the meteorites at temperatures below
freezing, several specimens were known to have warmed up and to have
contacted liquid water after they were collected. However, most of the
meteorites did not thaw; snow was still present in fissures in several
specimens. The meteorites were returned to Port Hueneme, California, in
the refrigerated locker of a ship. Inside a cold room at Port Hueneme
the meteorites were repacked into metal boxes and dry ice was added.
These boxes were flown air freight to JSC, where the meteorites were
unpacked and placed inside a cold storage room at -40°C. Ice placed in
one of the boxes in Antarctica was unmelted, which indicates that the
meteorites did not thaw after initial packing.


Best wishes,

Bernd

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