‘Rare’ 7-kilogram meteorite among five discovered in Antarctica

Researchers discovered over five meteorites in Antarctica, including a rare hefty specimen that weighs over seven kilograms.

Of the 45,000 meteorites retrieved from Antarctica over the past century, only about 100 are the same size or larger than this 7-kilogram meteorite. (Image credit: Maria Valdes | Field Museum)

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Antarctica is bitterly cold and remote, making it a not-so-great place for humans to thrive. But at the same time, it can also be one of the best places to hunt for meteorites. This is because, technically, Antarctica is a desert, and its dry climate reduces the amount of weathering that meteorites face while entering Earth’s atmosphere. An international team of scientists confirmed this as they got back from Antarctica with five new meteorites, including one that weighs more than seven kilograms.

The especially large seven-kilogram meteorite has scientists excited as according to the Chicago Field Museum, around 45,000 meteorites were retrieved from Antarctica over the past century and only about hundred of them are that size or larger. “Size doesn’t necessarily matter when it comes to meteorites, and even tiny micrometeorites can be incredibly scientifically valuable. but of course, finding a big meteorite like this one is rare, and really exciting,” said Maria Valdes, a research scientist at the Field Museum and the University of Chicago, in a press statement.

To discover the meteorites, the research team devised a new method where they mapped the terrain using satellite imagery. The team’s expedition happened during summertime in the continent, but they still had to brave extremely cold temperatures as they went on long treks and snowmobile rides.

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“Going on an adventure exploring unknown areas is exciting but we also had to deal with the fact that the reality on the ground is much more difficult than the beauty of satellite images,” said Vinciane Debaille, a member of the research team, in a press statement.

The five meteorites discovered by the research team will be heading to the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences where they will be analysed. Meanwhile, some sediments that may potentially contain micrometeorites have been divided amongst themselves by the research team so that they can be studied at the researchers’ institutions.