[meteorite-list] New meteorite hunter has some questions

From: tradman7 at comcast.net <tradman7_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 22:14:34 +0000 (UTC)
Message-ID: <1372113615.1276591246486474320.JavaMail.root_at_sz0174a.emeryville.ca.mail.comcast.net>

Hey all,

I live near Chattanooga Tennessee. I have always been interested in meteorites and astronomy, but hadnt thought much about it lately until I saw the show called "Meteorite Men" on TV. I am really wanting to look for meteorites and I have been researching the subject, reading "Rocks From Space", I have orded some magnets for testing the finds and ive made a magnet cane.
      I was wondering it there is any point looking in my area, knowing that we get more rain here than in the arid places, I realize that the meteorites will decay much more quickly in the damper ground. I also was wondering if purchasing a metal detector might be a good idea. I have read that the Whites GMT is a good possible option and I learned that it is designed primarily for gold hunting and it also registers the iron in the "hot rocks" which I suppose are sometimes meteorites.
     My thought is that very few people are looking in the southeast US, and while I havent researched yet about known falls and strewn fields in the southeast, I would think there must have been some here.
    I guess one question I have is, am I better off buying a metal detector that also registers coins and relics, and other items since those things are often found here, like Civil war relics, or should I try to get a detector that is better suited for the meteorites?
      Another question is, would the GMT be likely to detect a meteorite of say, 2 inches in diameter up to 12 inches or bigger, under several inches of damp soil or a foot or two deep? Would the moisture in the ground here already have eaten them away?
      I saw the guys on TV dragging that large detector around to find deeply buried large ones, and it made me think of possibly walking through some flat farm fields around here with a detector of some sort, though a handheld one is closer to being in my budget right now.
     I understand that those guys did lots of research about the kansas strewn field, and I know that just randomly searching farm fields in Tennessee wont be very productive, but do you think I have any alternatives to use around here to look a bit?
    I know that meteorites are very rare and difficult to find, but i am willing to put in the time if i think there is a chance of success. Any info you guys could give me about whether a metal detector might be a good idea, and if the GMT or another type might do better will be appreciated. Also if you could tell me what other sort of options I might have for locating them several inches or a couple of feet beneath the surface if they are large enough to be detected, and if you think the rainfall in the southeast would make searching pointless?
    I have seen numerous areas where the topsoil has washed away leaving lots of rocks exposed on top on the ground, and I dragged a small magnet over the ground picking up little magnetized pebbles, some of which seem to be spherical and dented with the tiny ablation dents seen on larger specimens... so this is the sort of place i have begun looking.
    Will I just have to settle for occasional trips out west to hunt dry lakebeds or known strewn fields, or do I have a chance for some finds around here? Thank you for your time and I would be happy for any suggestions anyone might have.

Happy hunting!

Forrest West
Received on Wed 01 Jul 2009 06:14:34 PM PDT