[meteorite-list] NP Article, 03-1977 Meteorites May Reveal New Clues
From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:28:35 2004 Message-ID: <BAY4-DAV144XIwOnCSB000105ed_at_hotmail.com> ------=_NextPart_001_0000_01C39A67.4FBC5F00 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 Transantarctic 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_0000_01C39A67.4FBC5F00 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= santarctic Mountains.</P> <P>Scientists concentrate their antarctic meteo= rite hunts on blue ice locations because of the accidental discovery in 1= 969 of 992 space rock fragments in such an area.</P> <P>Dr. William A. Ca= ssidy of the University of Pittsburgh said very old ice that has lost its= snow cover has a bluish color. Cold and ice help protect the rock from e= rosion and chemical reactions that destroy meteorites elsewhere, he said.= </P> <P>"Of the dozens of blue ice areas studied, only two yielded meteor= ites, said Cassidy of his recent discovery. "These two areas contain much= 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 Natura= l History in Chicago and Dr. Keizo Yanai of the Japanese National Institu= te of Polar Research in Tokyo.</P> <P>The find is significant not only be= cause of the giant rock, but also because of the meteorites promise a var= iety of data since they apparently didn't fall at the same time, the geol= ogists said.</P> <P>The meteorites ages and when they fell to earth are s= till unknown, they added.</P> <P>"These meteorite represent many differen= t falls. We are getting a very nice cross section of what is falling on e= arth," Cassidy said in an interview.</P> <P>Cassidy said the large meteor= ite was found in 33 pieces - the largest fragment weighing 250 pounds - s= cattered over a two-acre area.</P> <P>The largest stony meteorite ever fo= und is believed to be one weighing almost five tons unearthed two years a= go in China, said the National Science Foundation.</P> <P>Meteorites are = chunks of stony or metallic material from space that hit earth after flam= ing trips through the atmosphere.</P> <P>Scientists believe meteorites ei= ther are pieces of broken up planets or moons, or are bits of primary mat= ter that never formed a larger body.</P></FONT><BR><BR>Please visit, www.= MeteoriteArticles.com, a free on-line archive of meteor and meteorite art= icles.</DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_001_0000_01C39A67.4FBC5F00-- Received on Fri 24 Oct 2003 08:45:00 PM PDT |
 StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit Yahoo MyWeb
|