[meteorite-list] Cold hunting

From: Zelimir Gabelica <Z.Gabelica_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:29:54 2004
Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.20030911092610.00702e3c_at_pop.univ-mulhouse.fr>

I believe Mark is perfectly right by saying that most meteorites are lying
below the soil surface.
I did not make any compiling but I guess if you go through all the Met.
Bull's reporting meteorite FINDS, I am pretty sure that about (at least ?)
half of them were found through plowing some field. Not taking into account
those found by H.H. Nininger in due time on rock piles on the edges of the
wide Midwest fields, that probably stem from the same origin, namely from
somewhere under the surface where they were plowed from.
Just as a famous example, remember that the Esquel main mass (the only mass
?) was found, really by chance, through sinking a well...at a depth of about
7 meters! Up to you to go to remote Argentina, find out the exact place
(that is not in Esquel city) and dig 7 meters next to that well (if it still
ever exists) to find (perhaps) another mass...perhaps...
But this is an "extreme" example and I agree that most of (survived)
meteorites would be found at a reasonably small depth.
I imagine here a new rush towards Sahara or other deserts in search for new
NWA's burried in soil not often exposed to strong winds...but I can imagine
Rob is rather willing digging his damp soil around Milton of Balgonie...The
race is open...

Best to all,

Zelimir=20


At 08:58 11/09/03 +0100, you wrote:
>
>
>I suspect most meteorites bury themselves on impact to just below the
>surface in soft sand/dirt so, I think the rate of 'soil covering' will
>make the difference, a dry desert soil is generally eroded away by winds
>to reveal them, and somewhere like tropical Britain (well this year at
>least!) has a very high rate of soil covering, from rotting plant life
>and water silting etc so any meteorites are more likely to be covered
>with a thick layer of soil in just a few hundred years, sitting in deep
>drier soil might actually preserve better them of course than sitting
>out in the rain and air?
>
>I suspect therefore that hunting meteorites in anything other than
>desert or a strewnfield, will require you to dig deep!
>
>The trouble with statistics is they imply a uniform distribution of
>impacts, there could of course be a massive pile of meteorites in your
>next door neighbors house and none in the rest of the country :)
>
>
>... But then of course our very own Rob Elliot finds some laying on the
>ground in the dampest erm.. I mean prettiest place on earth -
>Scotland(!) :)
>
>Cheers,
>
>Mark
>
>
>
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******************************************************
Prof. Zelimir Gabelica
Groupe S=E9curit=E9 et Ecologie Chimiques (GSEC) - ENSCMu
3, rue A. Werner
F-68093 MULHOUSE Cedex, FRANCE
Tel: +33 (0)3 89 33 68 94
FAX: +33 (0)3 89 33 68 15
e-Mail: Z.Gabelica_at_uha.fr
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Received on Thu 11 Sep 2003 05:26:10 AM PDT