[meteorite-list] Meteorites Recovered From Ocean Bottom

From: Mark Hammergren <mhammergren_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2018 11:41:01 -0500
Message-ID: <CAGXJ7aBcdjj2psoyEfduV7LDjwyoZ-JaAE81ZsxactThNTVnsg_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hi Rob,
Excellent question! We've been working on a recovery effort for the
Feb. 6, 2017 Wisconsin / Lake Michigan meteorites since shortly after
that fall. Marc Fries is part of this collaboration between the Adler
Planetarium, Field Museum, and Shedd Aquarium to retrieve fragments of
these meteorites using a magnet-equipped underwater sled, with some
reconnaissance using small ROVs. The predicted spatial density of
large fragments is pretty low, but we're hopeful that we can find some
of the more numerous tiny fragments that are certainly out there. The
project is being implemented primarily through the work of our teen
volunteers and interns -- mostly because involving the public in our
work is what we do, but also because nobody funds scientists to hunt
for meteorites (ANSMET being an exception).
The nature of the lake bottom is quite varied, and largely unmapped
throughout the strewn field. While there are significant stretches of
clean sand and silt, there are also outcrops of bedrock, colonies of
zebra and quagga mussels, and at least two known shipwrecks. Hopefully
no great amount of taconite pellets from the northern iron mines!
You can learn more about "The Aquarius Project" at:
https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/education/far-horizons/the-aquarius-project/
Best regards,
-- Mark


On Fri, Jul 6, 2018 at 11:01 AM, Matson, Rob D. via Meteorite-list
<meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com> wrote:
> I do wish Marc and NASA every success in trying to pull this off. What surprises me is
> that a similar effort wasn't undertaken for the fall over Lake Michigan last year, just
> offshore from Wisconsin. That one should be FAR easier to recover -- the water is
> clear (thanks to the zebra mussels), the depth minimal (<250 feet), the bottom
> sandy rather than silt and muck, and little to no waves to contend with. --Rob
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Meteorite-list [mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of Sterling K. Webb via Meteorite-list
> Sent: Friday, July 06, 2018 1:12 AM
> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Subject: EXTERNAL: [meteorite-list] Meteorites Recovered From Ocean Bottom
>
> List,
>
> It seems that Marc Fries
> (former list member) has
> recovered fragments from
> the fireball that passed over
> Seattle in March of this
> year... from the bottom of
> the Pacific!
>
> "Against all odds, NASA
> may have actually found
> a meteorite on the bottom
> of the ocean:"
> <https://bgr.com/2018/07/05/ocean-meteorite-nautilus-nasa-expedition/>
>
> They say:
> "...researchers will examine
> the fragments more closely
> and hope to conclusively
> determine that they are
> indeed from space. If the
> rocks are indeed extra-
> terrestrial, it will mark
> an incredible accomplish-
> ment for the expedition
> team."
>
> I'll say!
>
>
> Sterling K. Webb
>
> ______________________________________________
>
> Visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/meteoritecentral and the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com
> Meteorite-list mailing list
> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> https://pairlist3.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
> ______________________________________________
>
> Visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/meteoritecentral and the Archives at http://www.meteorite-list-archives.com
> Meteorite-list mailing list
> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> https://pairlist3.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
Received on Fri 06 Jul 2018 12:41:01 PM PDT