Skidoos parked at the edge of the big ice tongue after a sweep (we dismount and search the neighboring moraine for meteorites as the sweep ends). Daniela is getting lunch from the 3rd skidoo on the left, and Minako is by the 2nd skidoo from the right.
Today was a fantastic day for the ANSMET Team 🙂
We awoke to bright blue, cloudless skies without a whisper of wind (which was quite relieving after 30 mph gusts confined us to our tents yesterday morning). It was a perfect day to hunt for meteorites!
We left camp with the goal of (finally) completing the systematic search for meteorites within the “Big Tongue” of the Davis-Ward Icefield, an effort that began 7 ANSMET seasons ago. However, we found and recovered so many meteorites throughout our initial sweeps today that we simply did not have the time to complete the final sweep at the very end of the Big Tongue. We plan to return on another good weather day.
During a sweep of the big ice tongue (mt ward in the background). From left to right: Jim crouches for a closer look at a meteorite, Jon, Brian, Daniela, Erin, and Minako.
In total, we recovered 32 meteorites today, which included several exciting specimens. For instance, today’s haul featured the largest meteorite recovered so far this season. It was a little larger than a softball and had a beautiful, nearly complete fusion crust (the thin and shiny black coating that encapsulates meteorites). Fusion crust forms as the meteorite passes through the atmosphere and becomes extremely hot, forming a thin layer of glass on the exterior – it is one of the most diagnostic features of a meteorite. We also collected what is referred to as an oriented sample, which is a meteorite with well-developed fusion crust on just one side. This imbalance allows us to identify the specific orientation of the meteorite as it plunged through Earth’s atmosphere, which we thought was very neat! In addition, we recovered a very striking specimen that was crumbly and slightly greenish in colour. Jim suspected that this sample may be another example of the carbonaceous chondrite class, and so we collected it carefully in sterile foil to preserve any potential organic compounds (and to prevent it from crumbling). Lastly, we collected a specimen that we believe belongs to the achondrite class. Achondrites are igneous rocks that originate from differentiated asteroids or planetary bodies, such as the Moon or Mars. This is the first time we have encountered this type of meteorite this season and we were all excited to take a closer look! Of course, the classification will need to be confirmed once the samples are delivered to the USA.
Part of the sterile collection process. Lauren uses tongs to place a meteorite in a bag that is held by Erin. Jim scratches his head, possibly contemplating ‘How could the Browns lose by that much to the Texans?’
Today was also special because I (Erin) finally found my first meteorite – and then several more! I was the last holdout, meaning that all ANSMET team members this season have now successfully identified and recovered meteorite specimens. As I write this blog at the end of the day, the weather continues to be absolutely stunning and we are hopeful for another full day of work tomorrow!
– Erin from Davis Ward