[meteorite-list] Exploring the Solar System in Antarctica (NWA vs Antarctica)

From: Jeff Grossman <jngrossman_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 09 Oct 2013 19:21:20 -0400
Message-ID: <5255E4F0.4020800_at_gmail.com>

As I've pointed out a number of times before, the scientific impact of
past research on Antarctic meteorites vastly outweighs that of work on
Saharan and other warm-desert meteorites. The reasons for this are
historical and curatorial. And as a person who has done a lot of
research on chondrites from both places, I can say from long experience
that the degree of weathering in Antarctic specimens is, overall, much
less. Work on warm desert meteorites is growing in importance, that's
certain. This is especially true in terms of work on unique or unusual
specimens, like NWA 7034, which are more plentiful in hot desert
collections. But when most scientists want to do systematic studies,
the first stops are still very likely to be collections of observed
falls and Antarctic meteorites.

So I guess it boils down to the meaning of "best." For collectors, it's
no contest, since you cannot privately own most Antarctics. For
Science, with a capital S, Antarctics have generally been best, although
some like Carl, are doing great work on special hot desert finds.

My take.

Jeff

On 10/9/2013 5:29 PM, Adam Hupe wrote:
> Interesting, Statistics are wonderful when using two different weather grading systems with a limited sampling. I will state that some fantastic meteorites have come out of Antarctica and have certainly been managed better for the most part than their NWA counterparts. On the other hand, by rarity, weight and numbers, NWA is by far in the lead.
>
> In the long run, I have always been of the opinion that it doesn't matter where a meteorite lands just so long as ponderable pieces are recovered.
>
>
> The yield of meteorites with great scientific importance has trended greatly towards NWA the last decade.
>
>
> Adam
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Carl Agee <agee at unm.edu>
> To: Adam Hupe <raremeteorites at yahoo.com>
> Cc: Adam <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 9, 2013 2:13 PM
> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Exploring the Solar System in Antarctica (NWA vs Antarctica)
>
> Weathering rates for New Mexico, Sahara, and Antarctica:
> http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1993Metic..28Q.460W
> *************************************
> Carl B. Agee
> Director and Curator, Institute of Meteoritics
> Professor, Earth and Planetary Sciences
> MSC03 2050
> University of New Mexico
> Albuquerque NM 87131-1126
>
> Tel: (505) 750-7172
> Fax: (505) 277-3577
> Email: agee at unm.edu
> http://meteorite.unm.edu/people/carl_agee/
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Oct 9, 2013 at 2:48 PM, Adam Hupe <raremeteorites at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> It is myth that Antarctic meteorites are less weathered. They weather differently is all. I have been in the Antarctic Laboratory and can tell that most of the inventory is not free of rusticles and evaporation deposits. After all, Antarctica gets its weather right of the salt water ocean. It seems only the best looking material is ever put on public display.
>>
>> Adam
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Carl Agee <agee at unm.edu>
>> To: Galactic Stone & Ironworks <meteoritemike at gmail.com>
>> Cc: Adam Hupe <raremeteorites at yahoo.com>; Adam <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 9, 2013 1:21 PM
>> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Exploring the Solar System in Antarctica (NWA vs Antarctica)
>>
>> Hi Mike,
>>
>> Add to that list NWA 7731 (L3.00). Semarkona (LL3.00) may still be
>> King, but 7731 is certainly a Prince!
>>
>> The only thing that Antarctic finds have going for them is that
>> weathering is much slower there than in North Africa, so fresher
>> material in general. But if I look at the ANSMET annual yield of
>> exceptional meteorites it is paltry compared to NWA. For planetaries
>> over the past ten years or so, NWA is definitely King!
>>
>> Carl
>>
>>
>> *************************************
>> Carl B. Agee
>> Director and Curator, Institute of Meteoritics
>> Professor, Earth and Planetary Sciences
>> MSC03 2050
>> University of New Mexico
>> Albuquerque NM 87131-1126
>>
>> Tel: (505) 750-7172
>> Fax: (505) 277-3577
>> Email: agee at unm.edu
>> http://meteorite.unm.edu/people/carl_agee/
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Oct 9, 2013 at 1:45 PM, Galactic Stone & Ironworks
>> <meteoritemike at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> Hi Adam and List,
>>>
>>> Not taking into account old Saharan meteorites (like Nakhla and
>>> Tatahouine), here is a list of some recent meteorites from the Sahara
>>> that hold significant scientific and/or collector interest :
>>>
>>> "Black Beauty" (NWA 7034)
>>>
>>> Tissint
>>>
>>> Jbilet Winselwan
>>>
>>> NWA 5000
>>>
>>> NWA 998
>>>
>>> Almahata Sitta
>>>
>>> NWA 4301
>>>
>>> Zag
>>>
>>> Gebel Kamil
>>>
>>> Too many Vestans to list.
>>>
>>> I threw together this list on the fly and in an arbitrary fashion.
>>> The true number of Saharan meteorites valuable to science is subject
>>> to interpretation, but it surely numbers in the many hundreds.
>>> Granted, many NWA's are weathered and redundant, highly-equilibrated,
>>> ordinary chondrites. But, many Antarctics are sub-gram fragments of
>>> paired finds. So I think the signal-to-noise ratio of NWA's versus
>>> Antarctics is about even.
>>>
>>> Best regards and happy huntings,
>>>
>>> MikeG
>>>
>>> --
>>> -------------------------------------------------------------
>>> Web - http://www.galactic-stone.com
>>> Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/galacticstone
>>> Twitter - http://twitter.com/galacticstone
>>> Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/galacticstone
>>> -------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 10/9/13, Adam Hupe <raremeteorites at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> It should be changed to "A few of the best meteorites are found in
>>>> Antarctica but these days, most are found in the Sahara"
>>>>
>>>> Adam
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: Paul H. <inselberg at cox.net>
>>>> To: "meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com"
>>>> <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
>>>> Cc:
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, October 9, 2013 11:40 AM
>>>> Subject: [meteorite-list] Exploring the Solar System in Antarctica
>>>>
>>>> Exploring the Solar System From the Ends of the Earth
>>>> The best meteorites are found in ? Antarctica.
>>>> By Meenakshi Wadhwa, Slate Magazine
>>>> http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2013/09/the_best_meteorites_are_found_in_antarctica.html
>>>>
>>>> Yours,
>>>>
>>>> Paul H.
>>>> ______________________________________________
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Received on Wed 09 Oct 2013 07:21:20 PM PDT