Antarctic meteorite recovery during BELARE 2019-2020 – 66 finds (1-889 g /~ 8.28 kg)
Last update: 26 January 2021
“Following successful recovery missions in 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2012-2013, and 2018-2019, an international team of Belgian, Turkish and Japanese scientists has recovered 66 meteorites in the 2019-2020 season, totaling more than 8 kg, in the Nansen blue ice fields, south of the Princess Elisabeth Station of the eastern Sør Rondane Mountains region, Antarctica. Several thousand micrometeorites, cosmic dust particles less than 2 mm in diameter, were also recovered from the mountain tops near the station. This research has been made possible through funding by the Belgian Science Policy (BELSPO) and logistic support of the International Polar Foundation (IPF).”
“The meteorite search team, consisting of 2 scientists connected to Belgian universities, Prof. Dr. Steven Goderis from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Dr. Hamed Pourkhorsandi from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Japanese participant Ass. Prof. Naoki Shirai, Turkish scientist Ass. Prof. Mehmet Yesiltas (as part of the 4th Turkish Antarctic Expedition), and two field guides, was dropped off on the Nansen ice field plateau on January 15th until pickup on February 6th.”
” Better than shear number, were the types of meteorites found. Among these, at least two achondrites […], and several carbonaceous chondrites”
Steven Goderis, Mehmet Yesiltas, Hamed Pourkhorsandi, Naoki Shirai, Manu Poudelet, Martin Leitl, Akira Yamaguchi, Vinciane Debaille, Philippe Claeys
Antarctic Record 65:1-20 – Conference Paper
“This report summarizes the Belgian Antarctic Expedition (BELARE) 2019－2020 meteorite search and recovery expedition near the Sør Rondane Mountains of East Antarctica during the 2019－2020 field season. This expedition took place from 15 January to 6 February 2020 within the area defined as ＂C＂ of the Nansen Ice Fields (S72°38’−72°48’S, 24°35’−25°06’E). The expedition team consisted of four scientists and two field guides, who systematically searched the ice field area and collected 66 meteorites. The total weight of the meteorites was determined to be ～8 kg. In addition to meteorites, blue ice samples, volcanic ash layers, and wind-blown terrestrial rock fragments were collected from the area to study in detail the nature of the mechanisms concentrating meteorites on the Nansen Ice Fields. The recovered meteorites were transported in a frozen state to the National Institute of Polar Research, Japan for dry-thawing and subsequent classification.”
“Maps outlining the route of this expedition, from Cape Town to the Nansen Ice Field. (a) Cape Town to Novolazarevskaya Air Base (Novo). The area within the rectangle is enlarged in (b). (b) Novo to Princess Elisabeth Antarctica station (PEA). The area within the rectangle is enlarged in (c). (c) Sør Rondane Mountains and the Nansen Ice Field. ＂BC＂ denotes the basecamp setup in the Nansen Ice Field. The area within the rectangle is enlarged in (d). (d) Divisions of the Nansen Ice Field. Red and blue dots denote locations of meteorites and blue ice samples collected during the expedition, respectively. Solid grey lines highlight routes and tracks”
Image: Steven Goderis et al. January 2021
