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 <[email protected]> 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:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of Sterling K. Webb via Meteorite-list > Sent: Friday, July 06, 2018 1:12 AM > To: [email protected] > 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 > [email protected] > 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 > [email protected] > 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 [email protected] https://pairlist3.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
