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Since 1976, the Antarctic Search for Meteorites program (ANSMET), funded
by the Office of Polar Programs of the National Science Foundation, has recovered
more than 10,000 specimens from meteorite stranding surfaces along the Transantarctic
Mountains. The ANSMET specimens are currently the only reliable, continuous
source of new, non-microscopic extraterrestrial material, and will continue
to be until future planetary sample-return missions are successful. The
samples already recovered provide essential "ground-truth" concerning the
materials that make up the asteroids, planets and other bodies of our solar
system, and their continued retrieval is the cheapest and only guaranteed
way to recover new things from worlds beyond the Earth. The study of ANSMET
meteorites has greatly extended our knowledge of the materials and conditions
in the primeval nebula from which our solar system was born, revealed the
complex and exotic geologic nature of asteroids, and proved, against the
conventional wisdom, that some specimens represent planetary materials, delivered
to us from the Moon and Mars, free of charge.
Antarctica is the world's premier meteorite hunting-ground for two reasons.
Although meteorites fall in a random fashion all over the globe, the likelihood
of finding a meteorite is enhanced if the background material is plain and
the accumulation rate of indigenous sediment is low. Consequently the East
Antarctic icesheet, a desert of ice, provides an ideal background for meteorite
recovery- go to the right place, and any rock you find must have fallen
from the sky. This allows the recovery of meteorites without bias toward
types that look most different from earthrocks (a problem on the inhabited
continents) and without bias toward larger sizes. But another factor may
be equally important. As the East Antarctic icesheet flows toward the margins
of the continent, it's progress is occassionally blocked by mountains or
obstructions below the surface of the ice. In these areas, old deep ice is
pushed to the surface and can become stagnant, with very little outflow and
consistent, slow inflow. When such places are exposed to strong katabatic
winds, massive deflation results, removing large volumes of ice and preventing
accumulation of snow while leaving a lag deposit of meteorites on the surface.
These areas exhibit a variable balance between infall, iceflow and deflation,
all of which are intimately tied to environmental change during recent Antarctic
history. Over significant stretches of time (tens of thousands of years)
phenomenal concentrations of meteorites can develop, as high as 1 per m2
in some locations. Terrestrial exposure ages of meteorites suggest that some
stranding surfaces may have been active for hundreds of thousands, or even
millions of years. Antarctica is by far the best place on Earth to search
for meteorites, and the ANSMET program has proven to be the most reliable
and economic way to recover these specimens.
The ANSMET specimens have been the only reliable source of new, non-microscopic
extraterrestrial material since the Apollo project, and will continue to be
until future planetary sample-return missions develop and succeed. Those samples
already recovered provide essential "ground-truth" concerning the materials
that make up the asteroids, planets and other bodies of our solar system,
and their continued retrieval is the cheapest and only guaranteed way to
recover new specimens from worlds beyond the Earth. Their distribution and
subsequent study has fundamentally changed our understanding of the solar
system, greatly extending our knowledge of the materials and conditions present
in the nebula from which our solar system was born 4.556 billion years ago.
ANSMET meteorites provide samples of asteroids ranging from primitive bodies
unchanged since the formation of the solar system to complex, miniature planets,
where both traditional and exotic geological activity has taken place. Other
ANSMET samples proved, against the conventional wisdom, that some meteorites
actually represent planetary materials, delivered to us from the Moon and
Mars, free of charge. ANSMET meteorites have even promoted the discovery
that meteorites can be used to do astronomy, through the study of isotopically
anomalous grains that could only have evolved in a different stellar environment.
Over the past twenty years, ANSMET meteorites have provided a continuous,
readily available and inexpensive supply of extraterrestrial materials, stimulating
new research and shifting the paradigms of planetary geology.
The primary goal of ANSMET is to recover an unbiased and uncontaminated
sample of meteorites each year. We hope to recover a sufficiently large
number of meteorites each season to make it likely that a few unusual or
unique specimens will be encountered. These field seasons follow a basic
structure developed over the past 25 years for efficient field work with
a small logistical footprint. ANSMET recovery teams consisting of 6 people
deploy from McMurdo station to locations in the deep field for a period of
5-7 weeks, usually by LC-130, a large cargo aircraft outfitted with skis.
The teams are self-sufficient in terms of equipment, fuel, food, and other
materials, and no permanent or semi-permanent structures are required. From
the landing site, the field team then traverses to an initial meteorite stranding
surface, where systematic searching begins. In general, we search exposed
blue ice in a series of parallel transects- the 6 field party members form
a line, spaced approximately 30 m apart, and slowly drive their snowmobiles
across the icefield, scanning visually for specimens in their paths. These
transects are arranged to provide significant overlap so specimens are unlikely
to be missed, and to minimize exposure to uncomfortable crosswinds which
affect visibility. Spacing between individual field party members will vary
as the concentration of specimens is taken into account, and if the concentration
of samples is sufficiently high, snowmobile transects are replaced by foot
searching. Many meteorite stranding surfaces require several years to search
because of their size. Training of ANSMET field party members helps ensure
consistent recovery methods from year to year. In turn, this ensures that
the sum of collected meteorites from a given icefield constitute an unbiased
sample of the meteorites falling upon (and contained within) the East Antarctic
icesheet. Consequently, ANSMET meteorites serve as a baseline for studies
of the size range and proportions of meteoritic material encountered by
the Earth in it's orbit.
Once a sample is located, we assign it an identification number, establish
its position by GPS, and make note of its size, possible classification, and
any distinguishing features such as shape or fusion crust. The sample is
then collected in a sterile teflon bag, with care being taken to avoid contact
with any mechanical or biological materials. While the field season is in
progress, these samples are carefully inventoried and kept frozen. Upon our
return to McMurdo, the meteorites are transferred to special shipping containers
and sent, still frozen, to the Antarctic Meteorite Curation Facility at the
Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. There the meteorites are carefully
removed from their sealed bags, dried to remove any attached snow or ice,
and stored under cleanroom conditions.
See the latest plan at the
Info for Field Team Members
link.
One way to evaluate the importance of ANSMET meteorites to the planetary
science community is to compare publication rates with those based on similar
material resources of unquestioned importance. A useful comparison is that
between studies of ANSMET meteorite samples and lunar samples recovered during
the Apollo moon landings; the core objective of both programs was the recovery
of planetary materials. One source of comparison is the number of abstracts
discussing ANSMET and Apollo samples published at the largest annual meeting
of planetary scientists (the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference) over
the past five years. For any given year, the number of abstracts concerning
ANSMET samples usually exceeds the number of abstracts concerning lunar samples
by 20%. In contrast, the number of ANSMET samples discussed in these abstracts
is lower than the number of Apollo samples. This reflects the continuous operation
of ANSMET since its inception; with new ANSMET materials arriving yearly,
many publications are purely descriptive, focusing on a single specimen. In
contrast, lunar publications generally focus on incorporating a number of
known samples into general theories, resulting in a higher number samples
discussed per abstract, on average. From a publication standpoint, ANSMET
meteorites currently generate scientific interest at a level equal to if not
in excess of that generated by lunar samples. From a more practical viewpoint,
although ANSMET meteorites do not provide all of the "ground truth" of samples
collected in situ, their collection costs only a minuscule percentage of
a space mission, and the continuous supply of samples allows rapid advancement
of scientific theory.
The Antarctic Treaty governs and protects the scientific integrity of all
research taking place on the continent of Antarctica, and forbids the removal
of specimens of any kind from that continent except as samples to be used
for scientific research. In accordance with that treaty, the recovered ANSMET
specimens are ultimately the responsibility of the National Science Foundation
as an agency of the US government. Since 1980, a three agency agreement has
been in place which details the cooperative contributions and responsibilities
of NSF, NASA, and the Smithsonian toward use of the recovered meteorites
as important scientific specimens. This agreement tasks the NSF to support
field operations, NASA to support storage curation, distribution and notification
of recovered samples, and the Smithsonian to provide long term curation facilities
for the collection and assist in sample characterization. In addition, NSF
funds the Meteorite Working Group, a peer group of meteorite researchers
created under the three agency agreement to offer expert advice on sample
distribution and curation.
After each new specimen arrives at the Johnson Space Center, and has been
freeze-dried to remove any ice or snow, technicians there carefully examine
the meteorite both macro- and microscopically. Small chips are broken off
of each specimen for initial study, by curatorial staff at both JSC and at
the Smithsonian. The product of these initial examinations is a short written
description, which is subsequently published in the Antarctic Meteorite Newsletter
that is distributed to researchers and facilities around the globe twice
each year. This newsletter invites interested researchers to request samples
for their investigations by submitting requests to the Meteorite Working Group,
a peer group established to oversee distribution of samples. The PIs of ANSMET
and field party members do not keep any samples for their own use and do
not receive special privileges during subsequent distribution of samples by
the Meteorite Working Group. Since 1976, 301 individual investigators representing
24 nations have received more than 10,800 samples. The average number of
requests received each year is approximately 75, for an average of nearly
600 samples.
As of the end of the beginning of the 2000 ANSMET field season, roughly
10,000 specimens have been recovered (the number is inexact because the latest
finds are still being characterized, and some may not be meteorites). This
represents an average number of recoveries of around 350 per season, although
the total for any individual season has varied from 30 (in 1976-77) to more
than 1000 specimens (in 1987-88, 1997-98 and 1999-2000). All told, including
Japanese and European Antarctic meteorites, more than 20,000 specimens have
been recovered.
Although meteorites have been recovered in Antarctica since the turn of
the century (the first being found in 1912), and several other agencies have
undertaken systematic Antarctic meteorite collection efforts of their own
(notably Japan and the European Council), the details of ANSMET search, recovery
and distribution techniques make the US collection the most valuable to science.
Painstaking efforts during the fieldwork ensure return of a complete, unbiased
sample with as low of a contamination level as possible, while careful training
and involvement of professional meteorite researchers help to ensure that
all possible meteorites are recovered, even in areas where terrestrial rock
is abundant. Superb facilities and exceptionally trained researchers and technicians
at the JSC and Smithsonian allow rapid initial characterization and description
of large numbers of new finds, while the ANSMET sample distribution system
guided by the MWG ensures rapid distribution of samples to interested researchers.
These three factors optimize the amount of scientific information preserved
in the recovered meteorites and ensure the availability of samples to researchers
on a continuous, accessible basis.
As noted earlier, meteorite science is still in a descriptive, explorational
phase. Meteoritic materials, representing samples from many different parent
bodies in different stages of planetary development, reveal the full breadth
of mineralogical, chemical and textural features present in the inner solar
system. The relative scarcity of meteorites, however, puts a severe limit
on how complete our understanding of the solar system can be. Even though
more than one hundred years of study has produced a very strong theoretical
framework that helps researchers identify the place of specific kinds of
meteoritic material in the history of the solar system, this framework contains
many large gaps and insubstantial boundaries. The significant numerical size
and unbiased nature of the ANSMET sample has made it an enormous boon to solar
system studies, providing the data necessary to strengthen and "fill in"
the existing theoretical framework, as well as expanding it to incorporate
conditions not previously considered.
However, even though the ANSMET meteorite collection represents a uniquely
complete sample of the meteorites falling to Earth, it is not this aspect
that generates the most interest. Instead, as is often the case in science,
it is the few unique or extraordinary specimens that are found which generate
the majority of interest. A useful way to consider why this is true is to
think of the Antarctic meteorite collections as extraterrestrial placer deposits.
While the collection as a whole is valuable as a representative of the materials
making up the solar system, some specimens are "gold nuggets" far more valuable
than others. To find these uniquely valuable specimens, you have to constantly
sift through a lot of material. ANSMET's "greatest hits" include more than
28 meteorites that have been requested 10 or more times since 1988. Although
these specimens represent less than less than 1/2 of 1% of the meteorites
collected by ANSMET, these meteorites generated more than 600 individual research
studies during that time. The demand for new specimens is steady and continuous,
and the continued recoveries support a high level of research across the
curriculum of planetary science. What specific ways have ANSMET meteorites
had an impact on planetary science? ANSMET meteorites have extended our understanding
of the history and composition of the solar system in many ways. Examples
of the particular impact of ANSMET specimens on specific topics in planetary
science are listed below.
Like any rock sample, meteorites are classified based on their mineralogy,
chemistry and texture, which in turn helps to identify the specific conditions
that produced them. The most abundant type of meteorites are the chondrites,
which lithologically are mechanical mixtures of a wide range of minerals,
including refractory silicates, metal, sulfides, and occasionally fine-grained
carbonaceous matrix. Chondrites (and in particular the carbonaceous chondrites)
have a bulk chemistry similar to that of the sun, and are all very old,
the oldest objects known in the solar system. Because of this, chondrites
are thought to represent primitive solar nebula material that has subsequently
undergone various degrees of metamorphism or other forms of alteration. By
studying the chondrites we can learn not only what materials were present
in the solar nebula, but also the conditions that were present at the time
the solar nebula formed.
ANSMET meteorites have had a tremendous influence on understanding of chondritic
meteorites. Most ANSMET chondrites fall within previously known classes, supporting
the canonical framework of nebular materials and conditions. However, some
specimens fall within gaps in the existing framework. An example of this
is the L/LL chondrites whose characteristics are intermediate to those of
previously defined L and LL groups, suggesting a relatively smooth variation
in nebular conditions and materials instead of discrete and distinct nebular
zones. Other ANSMET samples have served to define previously unknown nebular
materials or conditions. ANSMET meteorites help to define the distinct EH
and EL chondrite groups, which represent materials that solidified under highly
reducing conditions within the solar nebula. R chondrites (previously called
Carlisle-Lakes-like) represent the opposite end of the spectrum, exhibiting
features consistent with formation under conditions much more oxidizing than
previously encountered. CR and CH chondrites are carbonaceous groups particularly
rich in Fe and other nonvolatile metals, and deficient in volatile elements.
These features yield important clues as to the degree of metal/silicate fractionation
in the solar nebula and the mixing of materials of low- and high- temperature
origin. CK chondrites are another unique group of carbonaceous chondrites
partially defined by ANSMET meteorite discoveries. While most carbonaceous
chondrites have experienced little thermal metamorphism, the CK chondrites
exhibit equilibration temperatures as high as 850°C, suggesting significant
processing after incorporation into a parent body setting. An unusual degree
of thermal processing of ordinary chondrites is also suggested by several
ANSMET specimens exhibiting features consistent with melting.
Meteorites are fragments of debris produced during energetic collisions
between parental bodies in the asteroid belt. Thus meteorites represent not
only samples of the surfaces of individual asteroids but their interiors as
well. The stochastic nature of this process means that the full range of
asteroidal materials is not represented by what falls to Earth over a short
period of time. The recovery of large numbers of Antarctic meteorites, which
represent an unbiased, long term collection, has provided tremendous advances
in our understanding of the asteroids. ANSMET meteorites have shown that
the asteroids are not simply a collection of a few dozen "primitive" bodies,
with a few more complex bodies thrown in; instead we see a set of complex,
miniature planets, exhibiting features consistent with gradational levels
of planetary processing, involving both traditional and decidedly exotic
geological activity. As noted earlier, ANSMET meteorite finds have extended
the known boundaries of parent body metamorphism and shown that impact processing
has had an extensive influence on the evolution of asteroids. ANSMET recoveries
have vastly improved our understanding of previously known igneous meteorites
by extending the range of materials known to exist on these parent bodies.
Antarctic meteorites from the howardite-eucrite-diogenite clan, thought to
be samples from the surface of the asteroid 2 Vesta, portray a parent planet
with a rich history of differentiation, partial melting, fractional crystallization
and crystal settling. At the same time, new aubrite specimens have strengthened
the case for their origin as products of partial melting of an E chondrite
parent. ANSMET meteorites have revealed the presence of many more disrupted
parent bodies than previously thought, through the presence of iron meteorites
with unique compositions. ANSMET meteorites have provided many new samples
of previously unique igneous lithologies, revealing them to be samples of
geologically active parent bodies rather than oddballs or curiosities. These
include the angrites and brachinites, distinct olivine- and feldspar- rich
igneous rocks suggesting various degrees of partial melting on primitive,
chondritic parent bodies. They also include much more complex scenarios
of partial melting and mixing of partially differentiated protoplanets, as
evidenced by the acapulcoites, lodranites and ureilites. Finally, it should
be noted that there are still some achondrites of "unknown" affinity within
the ANSMET collection, and only further recoveries can establish their place
in the history of the solar system. ANSMET meteorites continue to reveal
a new level of complexity among the asteroids, and serve as important analogs
now that direct study of asteroids by spacecraft has begun.
One of the most important discoveries based on ANSMET meteorites was that
some samples were actually derived not from the asteroids but from the moon
and Mars. The conventional wisdom 20 years ago was that any specimens knocked
off a planet- sized body by an impact would be altered beyond recognition
if not completely vaporized. This paradigm was completely overturned by the
discovery of ANSMET meteorite ALH81005, an anorthositic breccia so similar
to Apollo lunar highlands samples that all investigators agreed it had to
have come from the Earth's Moon. Since that time ANSMET has recovered 6
more lunar specimens, providing a random, global sample of the lunar surface,
illustrating the global distribution of basaltic and anorthositic lithologies,
and confirming bulk lunar characteristics. Since that time, several researchers
have created models examining the pathways and predicting the number of meteorites
that may be reaching our planet from various sources. Equally important was
the discovery of new members of the SNC group of igneous meteorites, whose
young crystallization age distinguished them from "normal" achondrites. Speculation
as to the parent planet of the SNC meteorites effectively ended when it was
found that shock-produced glass in the ANSMET meteorite EET79001 contained
a suite of trapped noble gases identical to the current atmosphere of Mars,
as measured by the Viking landers. These specimens have become windows into
the geology of Mars, as the only available samples from that planet. In
general terms, their study has provided an absolute chronology for igneous
events on Mars; allowed direct study of the composition and properties of
the Martian crust, core and bulk planet; provided information on the size
and behavior of the volatile inventory of the planet.; and showed the presence
of organic compounds. In addition, the martian meteorites provide the best
possible "analog" for upcoming robotic and sample return missions to Mars.
One of the most exciting revolutions in meteorite studies is taking place
today, and ANSMET meteorites play a subtle but important role. As already
noted, chondritic meteorites are thought to represent samples of the solar
nebula, and are carefully studied to help understand the kinds of materials
and conditions that were present at the beginning. But some chondrites exhibit
puzzling isotopic signatures, particularly among the noble gases, that do
not make sense in terms of the bulk qualities of the solar nebula. Researchers
expended great effort to find the carriers of these strange isotopic signatures,
in the hopes that a more concentrated sample would yield clues as to their
origin. This research required breaking down valuable samples into their most
stable, inert components through extremely destructive mechanical and chemical
extractions. Such destructive techniques are hard to justify when samples
are rare, and hard to replace- but the abundant chondritic material represented
by Antarctic meteorites help make this work plausible. Eventually, carrier
phases of these strange isotopic signatures were isolated as dispersed, very
rare components of chondritic meteorites. These phases include diamond, silicon
carbide, aluminum oxide, graphite, and other refractory minerals, each with
a distinct isotopic signature that could not have been produced by known
solar-system processes. Different stellar environments provide the only plausible
source for these grains. More than 7 distinct environments have been isolated
so far, including the extended envelope of red giant stars, the explosive
shell of recent supernovae, and active Wolf-Rayet stars). In essence, these
grains derived from meteorites provide us with samples of different stars,
and allow researchers to perform astrophysical studies based on samples rather
than observation or theory. Although this field is literally only a few
years old, it is already revolutionizing our understanding of stars and the
interstellar medium. Without the large numbers of readily available samples
provided by ANSMET and other Antarctic meteorite sources, this kind of research
could not have progressed so rapidly.
ANSMET meteorites have helped turn many unique specimens reated only as
curiosities into representatives of important groups- giving context to specimens
that previously were problematic exceptions to the general rules. However,
meteoritics is still a science in desperate need of new data to help fill
gaps in current theories. Acceptance of mass transport between solar system
bodies offers researchers the opportunity to search through the ANSMET collection
for types of meteorites that are thought to exist, but might not otherwise
be recognized. For example, aubrites represent relatively abundant cumulate
pyroxene rocks from a differentiated parent body of enstatite chondrite parentage,
but we have yet to find meteorites that represent the basaltic component that
must exist on such a differentiated body; why?. Similarly, we have representatives
of both basaltic and pyroxene-rich rocks thought to have come from Vesta,
and these meteorites match up with reflectance spectra of specific regions
on that asteroid. But significant regions of Vesta exhibit the spectral signature
of abundant olivine, and no corresponding olivine-rich meteorites have been
found; why? We have meteorites that provide us with samples of the surface
rocks of Mars and the Moon- do we also have some that from Mercury or Venus?
The unbiased nature of the ANSMET collection has prompted some researchers
to look for them. On an immensely broader scale, studies of ordinary chondrites
still have not told us the range of conditions present in the solar nebula-
we do not know how homogeneous it was on larger scales, we do not know how,
when, or how evenly it was heated, we do not even know what mechanisms are
responsible for the formation of chondrules, the single most common building
block of the solar system. ANSMET meteorites have played a critical role in
past progress in planetary science, and their future collection represents
our best chance of answering these questions in the future. In a sense, the
ANSMET meteorite program has become a fishing expedition, trolling nets through
the extraterrestrial debris reaching the Earth. Although not every trip
will produce an exciting catch, only continuous active searching can guarantee
that key specimens will eventually be recovered.
During its twenty year history of NSF support, the ANSMET program has been
funded by the Earth Sciences section in the Office of Polar Programs. This
reflects the nature of ANSMET research- we conduct field work in the Transantarctic
mountains, collecting rock samples to which geological techniques are applied.
From 1976 to 1995, research grants have been awarded to Prof. William A.
Cassidy (of the University of Pittsburgh) Since 1996, Dr. Ralph P. Harvey
(of Case Western Reserve University) has been the principal investigator.
The ANSMET proposals have also listed Mr. John Schutt as mountain guide and
field safety officer since 1981.
Dr. Ralph Harvey and John Schutt are members of each field party, serving
as ANSMET continues to be one of the few Antarctic research projects that
invites graduate students and senior researchers from other institutions to
participate in our field work on a volunteer basis. These individuals, usually
with a history of research involving Antarctic meteorites, gain significant
insight into the collection circumstances surrounding their primary research
materials. Many of these volunteers have been graduate students, some of
which have produced dissertations based partially or wholly on studies of
Antarctic meteorites. Nearly 100 individuals have participated in ANSMET research
over the past two decades.
Here's the first step- think about it for a minute. Do you really want
to freeze your rear end off, living in a tent for 45 days, with no contact
to the outside world, no warm bathrooms, no showers, no web surfing, no cable?
If you fail that intelligence test, then the next step is simply a letter
(on paper, please) stating your interest in the program. Three things are
especially important. First, make sure you tell me why you want to go, concentrating
on the benefits you foresee to your academic achievements (how would it
relate to your studies?). As noted in the previous FAQ, virtually all of
the people who go to Antarctica with ANSMET are graduate students or established
scientists working on planetary materials. Similarly, don't expect us to
be too impressed with an adventure-filled life. While we do appreciate applicants
with some camping experience, we want to have as few adventures in the field
as possible- your academic standing is what will get you in, not your jet-propelled
sky diving or your training in underwater helicopter maintainance.
Second, make sure you tell me where you are in your studies and when you
are available. Just saying "I could go anytime" is not as useful as saying
"I will finish my degree in spring of 98 and would love to go for the 98-99
season" or "I'm on sabbatical and can only go in 1999".
Finally, be patient. We have a long list of volunteers, and we typically
take only 3 new people each year. Those who get to go are usually the ones
willing to re-apply and stay in touch year after year. Other things to do:
list some references in the letter, people that know you rather than people
that know me. And look for me at meetings, and introduce yourself- that helps
me see how you would fit in with other people. Typically I go to the LPSC
meeting, the Meteoritical Society meeting, and national GSA each year.
Several websites exist that offer information on ANSMET and related activities. Links to these sites are available on
Alternatively, the individuals below can be contacted via email or telephone:
Dr. Ralph P. Harvey, Principal Investigator, ANSMET
rph@po.cwru.edu
216-368-3690
Prof. William A. Cassidy, Principal Investigator, ANSMET
ansmet@vms.cis.pitt.edu
412-624-8780
Dr. Marilyn Lindstrom, Curator, Johnson Space Center
lindstrom@curate.jsc.nasa.gov
713-483-5135
Dr. Timothy McCoy, Curator, Smithsonian Inst.
Mccoy.Tim@NMNH.SI.EDU
202-357-2260
Dr. Scott Borg, Program Manager, Office of Polar Programs, NSF
sborg@nsf.gov
703-306-1033
The ANSMET meteorite labelling system is distinct from that used for Apollo
moon rocks in several ways. When a meteorite is found it is given a field
number that we use purely for bookkeeping purposes- this number has no information
concerning year, type, size, etc, and is used to correlate the specimen with
our field notes. The specimen retains this number until all the meteorites
arrive at the lab at Johnson Space Center. At that time, the meteorites
are prioritized- the specimens with the greatest likelyhood of being "interesting"
are looked at first. The very first one from the 1996-97 field season to be
looked at will be given the name EET96001, the second EET96002, etc. Thus
the first three letters designate the geographical area where the meteorite
was found (in this example, Elephant Moraine), and the last three digits designate
the order in which the specimen was examined in the lab. There are a few
exceptions to this rule- QUE 93069, a lunar meteorite from the Queen Alexandra
Range, was the first specimen looked at from the 93-94 season, but was given
the number "069" in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Apollo project.
No, the secret Nazi UFO base at the South Pole, guarded by Yeti love-slaves
who are actually captured pre-Grey aliens, drove Elvis away when he attempted
to rescue Jim Morrison and Paul McCartney. And that guy from Nirvana, yeah,
what's his name.......
Click here
for the answer...
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ecb4@po.cwru.edu
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