[meteorite-list] Meteorite Samples on India's Geological Institute's Radar

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue Aug 1 20:18:34 2006
Message-ID: <200608020015.RAA24708_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=195110

Now, meteorite samples on geological institute's radar
Express India News Service
August 1, 2006

Gandhinagar/Rajkot: The Geological Survey of India (GSI) on
Tuesday sent two teams comprising senior GSI officials to Kutch and
Saurashtra to collect the samples of meteorites reported to have been
witnessed over parts of these regions on Monday night.

The GSI authorities have, meanwhile, cautioned ocal people against
touching the meteorites if found, for they may contain radioactive
material. The samples will be sent to GSI's central repository in
Kolkata for detailed study. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Narendra Modi
appealed to residents in the region to contact local government
officials, if they come across meteorite remains. He stated that it was
a rare occurrence and any information on such remains could help in its
scientific study.

Deputy Director General Dr R S Goyal, GSI, Western Region, who rushed
here on Tuesday from his Jaipur headquarters on hearing the news of the
meteorite shower, told mediapersons that one team of GSI officials would
visit Kutch, while another would visit Rajkot and Jamnagar to interact
with local authorities and people and collect details of the meteorites.

Goyal said the objects were reported to have been found only in Bandhiya
and Vatkar villages of Bhachau taluka in Kutch, while the Rajkot and
Jamnagar district collectors had informed him that the meteorites had
been only sighted by local people in certain areas, and that nothing was
found in these two Saurashtran districts.

The GSI officials, armed with radioactivity measuring machines, will
first examine the samples for radioactivity and then send them to
Kolkata. The repository could take about a month to submit its findings.
The GSI official said a vernacular daily in Rajkot had procured some
pieces of meteorites from Kutch to be displayed in its office for public
viewing. "I called up the proprietors of the daily, advising them to
ensure that no one touches the pieces as they may contain radioactive
minerals," he said. The official said he had also written to State Chief
Secretary Sudhir Mankad, seeking cooperation from district authorities
in collecting the samples.

Meanwhile those who witnessed the rare meteorite showers on Monday night
are yet to get over the shock and awe. "I saw a bright streak of light
in the sky falling towards earth around 9.38 pm. I was amazed and very
thrilled," said Jatin Rawal of Jamnagar.

Some fragments collected in Rapar taluka by the Kutch district
administration and in Vanchad village in Samkiyali taluka by a team of
Rajkot rural police have been sent for testing to Gandhinagar's GSI office.

"Meteorite showers accompanied by a blast was experienced in around 45
villages in Jamnagar and Jodia talukas," said Jamnagar district
disaster mamlatdar V Acharya, adding, "We have alerted all the
mamlatdars to cordon off the site in case they found some rocks or
stones".

Meanwhile Goyal also said that in October 2004, a minor meteorite shower
had been reported from near the Kaprada village in Valsad, the samples
of which were sent to the Kolkata repository for a detailed study which
is yet to submit its findings. Yet another meteorite shower was reported
from Bherai in Junagadh way back in 1893, and the detailed analysis of
its sample had revealed the meteorite contained a mix of iron and rock
and had no traces of radioactivity, he said.
Received on Tue 01 Aug 2006 08:15:57 PM PDT