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Finding meteorites
Meteorite hunting: Finding meteorites
Eric Wichman
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Most people do not know that you can own a meteorite much less find one in your own practice backyard. There is a very good chance that meteorites have been found close to where you are. There have been over 50,000 meteorites found in the world and 1,600 of them have been found in the U.S. itself.
To know where to hunt meteorites
The first thing you need is a place to hunt. If you live in southwestern U.S. is in first meteorite hunting ground. This area of the country lends itself to the preservation of meteoritic material. Due to the arid Southwest, and low annual rainfall, the meteorites are slightly less here than anywhere else in the U.S. meteorites containing iron and iron is prone to corrosion, therefore, a drier climate preserve meteorites for a longer period of time.
That's why more meteorites are found in the Sahara desert that any other place on earth! Meteorites Northwest Africa (NWA meteorites known as) are abundant because the weather is perfect. The Sahara Desert covers the entire northern region Africa!
Anywhere there are "Old Ground" and the climate is arid, most likely find meteorites. They are hard to find and more rare than gold, but when you find one there is a possibility of more in that area.
If not hunting
In the first place. No hunting on lands that have not permission to hunt. This is perhaps the most important rule in the world of meteorites. Trespassing is illegal. Do not. People who do, make it more difficult in the rest of the meteorite community, and can tarnish the reputation and people turn to professional meteorite hunters who follow the rules.
In addition, not every field is open to hunting for meteorites. The wetlands would not be a good place to look, but in any place that is relatively dry, with soil age is a great place to hunt.
You can find meteorites anywhere in the world. The Willamette meteorite, for example (the largest meteorite ever found in the United States 15.5 tonnes) was found in all parts of Oregon. I do not know if you've ever been to Oregon, but no rain in the jungle areas almost daily. Many of the Willamette had survived at a distance, but it's still the biggest meteorite is not yet in the U.S.
If a chondrite (meteorite stone) falls into the ocean, the iron will fall apart and crumble into nothing in a short period of time. Water, humidity and wind erosion contribute greatly to the disappearance a meteorite.
The meteorite Strewnfield elusive
If you encounter a real meteorite, mark the spot and be sure to search the entire area where you found it. You may have found a meteorite only from a fall, but there is a small chance that it could only have discovered what scientists and hunters meteorites strewnfield call a veteran meteorite.
A strewnfield is a section of land (usually in a long elliptical or circular, semi-form) covering a large area, a 10.1 miles long and 1.5 miles. Most are smaller strewnfields half a few kilometers in length and width. In general, the higher is a meteorite or asteroid is coming into our atmosphere the greater the strewnfield. Unless …
If a meteorite falls in an acute angle then strewnfield produced will be smaller and harder to spot because the material is given over a smaller ellipse distribution. Image of a handful of stones thrown directly into the soil. Covering the area not long at all. But if you throw a handful of pebbles right to the front of the ellipse that distribution is long greater in size.
Finding a meteorite strewnfield is perhaps the holy grail of hunting meteorites. meteorite hunters dream of finding their own meteorite strewnfield because of personal satisfaction and the sheer excitement of finding something so rare.
Cosmic Treasures
The meteorites are rarer than gold and some more valuable than diamonds, but they are nothing like metals and gemstones. You must keep in mind that it is not our planet. Are there, in the vast expanses space. They fly through our solar system and crash into the Earth and the feeling one has when one holds a meteorite in your hand is wonderful.
Tools meteorite hunter
We will begin their adventures hunting for meteorites on the right. You need the equipment. Here is a brief list of some of the tools you'll need to make meteorite hunting success.
You will need this stuff
The Meteorite Stick
Stick a good Meteor is basically a golf club head chopped off with a powerful magnet attached at the tip. We will use this for playing and collecting meteorites on the surface of the land hunting. Meteor sticks are used to collect meteorites and as a makeshift cane.
A good metal detector
You can find meteorites with a metal detector. But not just any detector metal will do. Although iron meteorites and can be located with metal detectors cheap discount store, the meteorite hunter will spend a little more serious in a detector specifically designed for metal detecting gold. They are more sensitive and tend to look much deeper meteorites.
Whites, Fisher and Minelab metal detectors, are great that you can use to find meteorites. The Gold Bug Fisher series are ideal for hunting meteorites. Many hunters meteorites as GMT, white, or even the V-SAT. You can expect to spend about $ 250 to $ 450 for a good used detector found meteorites.
Buy yourself a few rare earth magnets of these online providers of large neodymium magnets.
K & J Magnetics *
* Children of Gauss Super Magnets
* Magnets rare earth on Ebay
GPS Locator
Garmin eTrex GPS Handheld Device Location: It is essential that one of them. It is imperative that you have in the field. Not only to mark the location of his meteorite find for the classification, but is a must for desert navigation.
Recording meteorite data location is vital to preserve the valuable scientific information. It is a rule in the meteorite community that when you find a meteorite to register coordinates is, take a photo of the meteorite "in situ" and the location where it was found, all before removing the stone from its resting place. This helps ensure strewnfield that the data are retained and that the information is not lost.
Garmin is by far one of the best GPS money can buy. There are other good brands out there, but few with the technology of Garmin GPS systems offered at prices so reasonable.
Digging Tool
We will use this to dig up his meteorites of course. (Attach a strong rare earth magnet to the excavation tool JBweld or other epoxy resin or liquid plastic.) This helps you find the meteorite faster than most of the meteorites are magnetic due to high iron content and will stick to the tool as you dig.
A spike small is a need to hunt for meteorites. Some meteorites are magnetic, but these are more difficult to find even with a metal detector, and not give a sign or a very weak signal when using a metal detector.
Basic wilderness / outdoor gear
Maps, backpack, fanny pack, a good knife, multi-tool, cable (parachute cord), water, water, water, food, first aid kit, snakebite kit, tire repair kit. If you travel by ATV or 4×4 is good to have a tow strap, shovel, two-way radios, and fuel and water. This list is not all inclusive, you also need a compass, extra batteries for both radio and GPS, flashlight, lighter, matches, plastic bags, garbage bags, and a good book to curl up next to the bonfire. A survival kit is always a good idea too. This can have fishing line, hooks, a match a few extra, bandages, alcohol swabs, etc … You get the idea. Do not forget your mobile phone!
To find a meteorite hunting area
Once you have all the equipment you need, then you need an area to hunt. This is where good solid research comes in. Do a search on Google the keyword phrase "database of meteorites, or visit the website of the Meteoritical Society author here: There http://tin.er.usgs.gov/meteor/ find a database chock full of great information about ALL the classifieds are in the U.S. and the world for that matter, with GPS and Google Earth together and mapping satellite photos. There is nothing better for this quality of information in depth.
NOTE: Do not just go get the coordinates are in the database! Some properties may be private land, state land and can not hunt without permission. Get permission from landowners before hunting. If you are looking for federal lands, make sure you have the maps! Make sure you know where you are and it is legal to hunt there. This article is not intended in counseling legal. CYA people. Use common sense. No hunting ground you do not have without permission. Simple as that.
OK, so now what? You have your team, your maps, meteorite trust his memory and an idea of where to look. Well, go out and hunt.
Meteorite Hunting with a Metal Detector
Meteorite hunting detector metal
Familiarize yourself with your metal detector. Buy some meteorites to calibrate your detector. Once in the field that can "throw down" the melody detector of meteorites and meteorite hunting. Do not forget to collect the meteorite a backup!
Swing Low & Slow
When you are swinging the detector to keep low to the ground and swing slowly and steadily until you get used to it. Once you get the hang of it you can speed things up a bit.
Cover portions ground
There are a lot of land around unsearched. If the network well enough the area is a meteorite, and once you find one can hold back a bit and search the area a little more. If you do not find anything else, go ahead. After a while you begin to recognize false targets.
Use Your Eyes
On the other hand, do not forget to "look" of meteorites as well.
Look for the eyes and meteorites and the detector. Meteorites do not resemble terrestrial rocks. Look for rocks that are misplaced or just look strange for the area you are hunting. Locate the black fusion crust or dark brown. A meteorite has been degraded in the earth for a long time usually become red-brown and sometimes will be bright, due to wind erosion blown sand.
And remember magnetic rocks are very few meteors, but the majority of meteorites are magnetic.
The identification of Meteorites
Once you find a stone which I think is a meteorite is a test suite that you use to determine if the stone could be a meteorite.
To understand how to identify a meteorite must first understand the types of meteorites in existence. There is a set of identifying characteristics that most meteorites that exhibit will aid in identification.
Iron And Stone
Normally the majority of meteorites contain iron and tend to be magnetic. Even the type of stone meteorites. They are usually heavier and more dense than ordinary terrestrial rocks due in part to its high iron content. The meteorites contain a higher concentration of nickel current Earth rocks. You can use one off the shelf to a nickel allergy test for the presence of nickel.
When viewed with a magnifying glass inside a stone meteorite display not only specks of iron in the stone, but there are small spherical mineral inclusions called chondrules, which are dispersed throughout the matrix. The matrix is the material surrounding the chondrules, and iron.
Fusion Crust
Newly fallen meteorites also have what is called a fusion crust. It is a thin layer of black material that forms on the surface of the stone as the meteorite enters our atmosphere. Usually, this dark fusion crust is very much like black charcoal on the outside, and if a meteorite is a stone that they tend to have a more interior light-colored stone that looks much like concrete.
Fingerprints
Another very important indicator that a stone could be a meteorite are regmaglypts or fingerprints. These indentations, ridges, scoops, and depressions on the surface of the meteorite formed through a process known as ablation. This happens as the meteoroid passes through our atmosphere.
The extremely high temperatures experienced by the meteoroid melts less dense material surface stone and this creates the rounded curves and depressions known as fingerprints. Fingerprints are so called because the human thumb usually fits very well in these depressions.
Types of Meteorites
There are three main types of meteorites. Stone meteorites, iron meteorites, and stony iron meteorites. As the name suggests that the stony iron meteorites usually consist of a 50/50 mixture of iron and silicate minerals. There are two types of stony iron meteorites, and mesosiderites pallasites and are a very rare form of meteorites and constitute about 1% -5% of all meteorites.
Iron meteorites represent about 5% of all falls known, and although this number can vary from one source to most will agree that this is probably correct.
Stone meteorites (ordinary chondrites) constitute the majority, about 80% to 95% of all meteorites that fall to the ground. They are called chondrites, because of the small spherical inclusions called chondrules. These minerals are formed in a vacuum and zero gravity environment in space, hence the reason of its form.
What if I think I have a meteorite?
There is much more to identify those meteorites that simply using the techniques mentioned here, but if you have a stone that has all the characteristics, only you could have a meteorite. The best thing to do would be to contact a university such as ASU (Arizona State University) or an expert in meteorites that can identify meteorites. There are plenty of professional meteorite hunters and online retailers are happy to help you identify or give advice about a possible meteorite find.
Meteorite Classification
A meteor, to be entitled to a name should be classified by a laboratory approved by the Meteoritical Society. Once sorted by a laboratory, a meteorite is eligible to receive a name that is determined usually related to the place of discovery. A perfect example would be the meteorite Sikhote Alin is an iron meteorite found in the Sikhote Alin mountains in Siberia, Russia.
The meteorites are all around us
Meteorites have been found everywhere on this planet, Antarctica, Africa, North America and South America, Russia, China, Europe and Australia. In fact Australia is a great place to look for meteorites.
Hunting meteorites is one thing, finding them is another story. For more information on U.S. meteorites Meteorites has a large number meteorite information, articles, photos, videos, maps, and even has some meteorites for collectors and a meteorite newsletter.
Meteorites around us
Meteorites have been found everywhere on this planet, Antarctica, Africa, North and South America, Russia, China, Europe and Australia. In fact Australia is a great place to find meteorites.
Hunting meteorites is one thing, finding them is another story. If you would like to learn more about meteorites Meteorites U.S. has a large number of meteorite information, articles, photos, videos, maps, and even has some meteorites for collectors, and a meteorite newsletter.
© Copyright 2010 Eric Wichman – U.S. meteorites – Http://www.meteoritesusa.com
About the Author
Eric Wichman is a meteorite hunter, collector, researcher, dealer, enthusiast and founder of the Meteorites USA network of meteorite information websites. The network includes Meteorites USA, Meteorite Blog, and the Meteorite Wiki, and consists of hundreds or articles, photos, videos, and related meteorite information.
Other Articles by Eric Wichman can be found on MeteoritesUSA.com
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