[meteorite-list] NPA 03-1977 Meteorites Reveal Clues
From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:18:04 2004 Message-ID: <BAY4-DAV32O05VnRlXH00009fe1_at_hotmail.com> ------=_NextPart_001_0030_01C3CC16.04BE40F0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Paper: Indiana Evening Gazette City: Indiana, Pennsylvania =20 Date: Tuesday, March 1, 1977 Page: 14 Meteorites May Reveal New Clues From Space WASHINGTON (AP) - Geologists studying 11 meteorites recovered in Antarcti= ca, including an 898 pound blockbuster, say their find promises to yield = important new scientific information, in part because the pace rocks appe= ar to have plunged to earth at different times. The National Science Foundation said Monday that American and Japanese sc= ientists found the meteorites, including one of the largest on record, on= patches of old, blue ice in the Trans-Antarctic Mountains. Scientists concentrate their Antarctic meteorite hunts on blue ice locati= ons because of the accidental discovery in 1969 of 992 space rock fragmen= ts in such an area. Dr. William A. Cassidy of the University of Pittsburgh said very old ice = that has lost its snow cover has a bluish color. Cold and ice help protec= t the rock from erosion and chemical reactions that destroy meteorites el= sewhere, he said. "Of the dozens of blue ice areas studied, only two yielded meteorites, sa= id Cassidy of his recent discovery. "These two areas contain much higher = local concentrations of meteorites than are found in the rest of the worl= d." The latest meteorites were found between last Dec. 10 and Jan. 20 by Cass= idy, Dr. Edward J. Olsen of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicag= o and Dr. Keizo Yanai of the Japanese National Institute of Polar Researc= h in Tokyo. The find is significant not only because of the giant rock, but also beca= use of the meteorites promise a variety of data since they apparently did= n't fall at the same time, the geologists said. The meteorites ages and when they fell to earth are still unknown, they a= dded. "These meteorite represent many different falls. We are getting a very ni= ce cross section of what is falling on earth," Cassidy said in an intervi= ew. Cassidy said the large meteorite was found in 33 pieces - the largest fra= gment weighing 250 pounds - scattered over a two-acre area. The largest stony meteorite ever found is believed to be one weighing alm= ost five tons unearthed two years ago in China, said the National Science= Foundation. Meteorites are chunks of stony or metallic material from space that hit e= arth after flaming trips through the atmosphere. Scientists believe meteorites either are pieces of broken up planets or m= oons, or are bits of primary matter that never formed a larger body. Please visit, www.MeteoriteArticles.com, a free on-line archive of meteor= and meteorite articles. ------=_NextPart_001_0030_01C3CC16.04BE40F0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV><B><FONT size=3D= 2> <P>Paper: Indiana Evening Gazette</P> <P>City: Indiana, Pennsylvania <= /P> <P>Date: Tuesday, March 1, 1977</P> <P>Page: 14</P> <P> </P></B>= <P>Meteorites May Reveal New Clues From Space</P> <P>WASHINGTON (AP) - G= eologists studying 11 meteorites recovered in Antarctica, including an 89= 8 pound blockbuster, say their find promises to yield important new scien= tific information, in part because the pace rocks appear to have plunged = to earth at different times.</P> <P>The National Science Foundation said = Monday that American and Japanese scientists found the meteorites, includ= ing one of the largest on record, on patches of old, blue ice in the Tran= s-Antarctic Mountains.</P> <P>Scientists concentrate their Antarctic mete= orite hunts on blue ice locations because of the accidental discovery in = 1969 of 992 space rock fragments in such an area.</P> <P>Dr. William A. C= assidy of the University of Pittsburgh said very old ice that has lost it= s snow cover has a bluish color. Cold and ice help protect the rock from = erosion and chemical reactions that destroy meteorites elsewhere, he said= </P> <P>"Of the dozens of blue ice areas studied, only two yielded meteo= rites, said Cassidy of his recent discovery. "These two areas contain muc= h higher local concentrations of meteorites than are found in the rest of= the world."</P> <P>The latest meteorites were found between last Dec. 10= and Jan. 20 by Cassidy, Dr. Edward J. Olsen of the Field Museum of Natur= al History in Chicago and Dr. Keizo Yanai of the Japanese National Instit= ute of Polar Research in Tokyo.</P> <P>The find is significant not only b= ecause of the giant rock, but also because of the meteorites promise a va= riety of data since they apparently didn't fall at the same time, the geo= logists said.</P> <P>The meteorites ages and when they fell to earth are = still unknown, they added.</P> <P>"These meteorite represent many differe= nt falls. We are getting a very nice cross section of what is falling on = earth," Cassidy said in an interview.</P> <P>Cassidy said the large meteo= rite was found in 33 pieces - the largest fragment weighing 250 pounds - = scattered over a two-acre area.</P> <P>The largest stony meteorite ever f= ound is believed to be one weighing almost five tons unearthed two years = ago in China, said the National Science Foundation.</P> <P>Meteorites are= chunks of stony or metallic material from space that hit earth after fla= ming trips through the atmosphere.</P> <P>Scientists believe meteorites e= ither are pieces of broken up planets or moons, or are bits of primary ma= tter that never formed a larger body.</P></FONT><BR><BR>Please visit, www= MeteoriteArticles.com, a free on-line archive of meteor and meteorite ar= ticles.</DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_001_0030_01C3CC16.04BE40F0-- Received on Sat 27 Dec 2003 02:09:03 AM PST |
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