[meteorite-list] Cold hunting

From: Matson, Robert <ROBERT.D.MATSON_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:29:54 2004
Message-ID: <AF564D2B9D91D411B9FE00508BF1C86901B4ED4D_at_US-Torrance.mail.saic.com>

Hi All,

On the subject of met hunting, Dave P. replied to my remark:

Matson: "If you want to reduce search time per (cold) meteorite
find (i.e. non-strewnfield), the #1 factor is "survival time" --
you must maximize it any way you can:

1. Low deposition rate -- ideally a ~negative~ deposition rate: you'd
prefer a surface that is "deflating"
 
2. Low annual precipitation
 
3. Minimal human presence"

-----
with:

> There is yet another way. Search a known strewn field - not one
> that has been picked over but one that has not.

Searching a known strewn field (picked over or not) will naturally
produce meteorites faster than any non-strewn field. (The discussion
thread was specific to cold hunting.) Certainly if anyone wanted to
find a meteorite as quickly as possible, I would direct them to
Holbrook, Gold Basin, Park Forest, Allende etc. as no large strewn
field is ever completely searched out, and you have the further
advantage of knowing exactly what you're looking for. (Caveat on
Gold Basin: this area has been searched for a long time by a very
large number of people, so the rate of new GB finds is perhaps
approaching the natural "background" rate of any good desert
locale. Just look at the number of non-GB finds that have been
made.)

On the same subject, Zelimir Gabelica wrote:

> 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.

You're forgetting about NWA, and more importantly Antarctica. The
number of buried meteorite finds is an insignificant fraction
compared to those found on the surface.

Cheers,
Rob
Received on Thu 11 Sep 2003 10:09:04 PM PDT


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