Date: 29 Sep 89 19:30:59 GMT
From: jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo!henry@rutgers.edu  (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: What to do with the $30 billion

In article <2153@hydra.gatech.EDU> ccsupos@prism.gatech.EDU (SCHREIBER, O. A.) writes:
>What is the story about the meteorites findings in Antartica? ...

Well, meteorites fall on Antarctica as they do anywhere else.  Unsurprisingly,
most of the ones that fall there end up imbedded in ice.  Ice flows, slowly.
Most of it eventually ends up melting into the ocean, which is not very
useful.  However, there are a few areas in Antarctica which are "sinks"
for ice, where flowing ice runs up against rock, is pushed upward, and gets
steadily eroded by wind.  Anything tough imbedded in that ice ends up sitting
on the surface.  The result is that meteorites collect on the surface there.
Not only that, but Antarctica's near-total lack of liquid water and life
means that they are in very nearly their original condition.  This provides
a very convenient way to collect large numbers of well-preserved meteorites.
-- 
"Where is D.D. Harriman now,   |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
when we really *need* him?"    | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu