Meteorites, Ice, and Antarctica: A Personal Account

by William A. Cassidy

• ISBN13: 9780521258722
• ISBN10: 0521258723
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-08-04
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Bill Cassidy has led meteorite recovery expeditions in the Antarctic for fifteen years. His searches have resulted in the collection of thousands of meteorite specimens from the ice. This fascinating story is a first hand account of his field experiences on the US Antarctic Search for Meteorites Project, which he carried out as part of an international team of scientists. Cassidy describes this hugely successful field program in Antarctica and its influence on our understanding of the moon, Mars and the asteroid belt. He describes the hardships and dangers of fieldwork in a hostile environment, as well as the appreciation he developed for the beauty of the place. In the final chapters he speculates on the results of the trips and the future research they might lead to.

Table of Contents

Part I. Setting the Stage: 1. Antarctica and the National Science Foundation

2. How the project began

3. The first three years

4. Later years of the ANSMET Program

5. Alone (or in small groups). Part II. ANSMET Pays Off: Field Results and Their Consequences: 6. Mars on the ice

7. Meteorites from the Moon

8. How, and where in the Solar System?

Part III. Has It Been Worthwhile?: 9. Evaluating the collection - and speculating on its significance

10. Meteorite stranding surfaces and the ice sheet

11. The future: what is, is

but what will be, might not.