Antarctica
ANSMET 2013-14 Season
I was lucky to be a meteorite hunter for the 2013-14 Antarctic Search for Meteorites Program (ANSMET). Along with seven other field party members, Johnny Schutt, Jim Karner, Barbara Cohen, Steve Ballou, Alex Meshik, Morgan Martinez and Manavi Jadhav, we searched in the deep field of Antarctica in the lovely south Miller Range (83 31 S, 157 5 E) for 42 days. Well, four of us were there for the full field season, while we waited for 3 weeks for the rest of our field party to arrive from McMurdo. The whole season, in fact, was fraught with logistical difficulties, remnants of the shutdown (closing down the whole program and sending everyone home early in the season, then bringing who they could back down when things reopened) and weather difficulties (the ice runway melted for the second year in a row, preventing the big C17s from coming in, and the ice dock broke up, preventing all cargo from going north!). Despite these troubles, we still brought in a haul of 333 meteorites, all extraordinary little samples from outer space. Some of these we think may have traveled here from our planetary neighbors. We'll find out in about 16 months. This place is very special to me because it is uniquely and spectacularly beautiful and absolutely remote. I also grew to love my field companions like family, as happens each time, and I really enjoy meeting all the talented people who are drawn to the continent. The place keeps pulling me back.
The pictures are sorted by trip segment, and are mostly chronological. If you'd like the short tour, head straight for FAVORITES.
FAVORITES:
Christchurch:
McMurdo:
CTAM:
Miller Range arrival:
Reccy days:
The team arrives:
Snowy Miller Range:
Dog days:
Big finds:
Pulling out:
Back to Mactown:
for more geology pics