JARE 51 Meteorite Hunting Mission a Success

Two pieces of a fragmented meteorite, exposed to the air long enough to be weathered and broken.

Two pieces of a fragmented meteorite, exposed to the air long enough to be weathered and broken.

© S. Goderis

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  • The JARE-51/BELARE-SAMBA meteorite search program recovered a possible ureilite of 150-200 g (here next to a Gundam scale model of ~12 cm high). This rare type of meteorite is an achondrite (a stony meteorite from the mantle of a different planetoid), only known through similar Antarctic meteorite recovery programs.
  • Another view on the possible ureilite, in the field it is very difficult to distinguish from more common types of meteorite, such as ordinary chondrites. Ureilites are the third rarest type of meteorite after aubrites and diogenites.
  • Although a rather inauspicious specimen on first looks, this fragment is an iron meteorite originating from the deep core of a former small planet. The fusion crust is not as black as found for other meteorites, while the density is a lot higher.
  • Frontal view on the Shirase, the Japanese icebreaker that transported our team from Australia to Crown Bay, Antarctica where the journey to the eastern Sør Rondane Mountains began.
  • Meteorites and the traps in which they are caught are generally widespread in the Antarctic. To get the highest recovery, snow mobiles are used. For this mission, generally a V-shaped formation was applied with 15 to 25 m between each member of the search party. In this way, the explored surface area can easily reach 15 km2 per day.
  • Two pieces of a fragmented meteorite, exposed to the air long enough to be weathered and broken.
  • Sometimes meteorite fragments are still frozen in the blue ice and need to be carefully removed in order not to contaminate them. Fresh meteorites should not be touched by hands, metals etc. and are therefore immediately sealed in plastic bags, kept frozen, shipped back to the laboratory, and brought up to atmospheric temperature gradually.
  • Search parties are also organized on foot in the vicinity of promising moraines. In order not the slip on the blue ice, crampons need to be used. Although temperatures are generally moderate during the Antarctic summer (between -5˚ and -20˚C), the wind makes it feel much colder, requiring sufficient clothing, face masks, good shoes and thick socks. Everyone carries an ice pick to test the condition of the ice as crevasses (cracks in the blue ice) regularly occur.
  • As required by the protocol on the Environmental Protection of Antarctica in the Antarctic Treaty, each sample is carefuly documented (field number, coordinates, picture with scale) and handled with care to minimize the potential for contamination.
  • This is an example of a more extreme crevasse (filled with snow in between blue ice), about 5 m wide. Crevasses are deep open cracks in the ice that form when ice bends over slopes, hills, nunataks etc.
  • On our way home after a day of exploring in an unknown area, we drive behind one another to lower the risk of falling into crevasses.
  • An ~5 kg heavy ordinary chondrite, the largest meteorite fragment found during this expedition. Ordinary chondrites make up 85% of all finds; they are the most common type of meteorites reaching Earth.
  • Not all meteorite fragments have been exposed to the air. Sometimes we find meteorites still completely surrounded by the blue ice, making them more difficult to recognize. With chisel and hammer, ice and meteorite are taken from the site.
  • A fairly complete meteorite fragment with a complete fusion crust. Upon entry into the atmosphere, these celestial rocks are heated by friction. However, contrary to the common belief that meteorites are hot when found, the journey through the atmosphere is so rapid that most meteorites retain the cold temperatures of our solar system.
  • Some of our colleagues driving through a local moraine in the eastern Sør Rondane Mountains with Ski-doos. Moraines are typically ridges that are composed of rocks and sediments travelled down and deposited at the edge or periphery of glaciers. Some of the blocks can be very impressive (several 1000s of kg). Meteorites can also sometimes be found in moraines.
  • Example of an ordinary chondrite found in a moraine. Only part of the original morphology has been preserved (flat side on the left), while the fusion crust has completely disappeared. Several metres from this piece, a second paired fragment was found, making the total weight around 200 g.
  • Geochemist Steven Goderis of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) next to a fresh find in the blue ice (field name G10011501). This fragement is possibly an L or LL 3 ordindary chondrite, recognizable by its light-coloured chondrules in a dark (almost carbonaceous chondritic) matrix. The chondrules (round grains present in undifferentiated stony meteorites) of LL-L chondrites are larger than those of H chondrites. Thin crevasses can be recognized in the surrounding blue ice.
  • Walking over the blue ice and crevasses in search of meteorites.
  • Example of a moraine, accumulating thousands of rocks from large distances, including meteorites. On some days, we found nothing; on other days, we recovered dozens of fragments in only a few hours. In total, the 2009-2010 summer campaign recovered 635 meteorite fragments, ranging in diameter from less than half a cm to ~ 15 cm.
  • Another example of a moraine.
  • A short lunch break in the field; Kaiden-san is trying to drink some hot tea and eat a little something. Lunch breaks normally don’t take long because of the weather.
  • Meteorite fragment of approximately 0.5 kg in the snow-covered blue ice.

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