Since Japanese scientists found their first meteorite on the Antarctic ice in 1969, the icy continent has proven to be a treasure trove. Between 15,000 to 16,000 meteorites have been collected since Japanese and U.S. teams began their annual excursions. In most parts of the world, meteorites are hard to find because wind and weather break them apart and because they get lost among other rocks and vegetation. In the Antarctic and in deserts, however, the dry air helps preserve them and the barren landscape makes them stand out. Also, in Antarctica meteorites often are buried by snow and ice, remaining safely frozen for millions of years.
Meteorites flow with the glacial ice toward the sea.
But when the ice meets mountains or other outcroppings of rock, the ice and the meteorites are forced upward. The meteorites can become exposed to the air in these areas, called stranding surfaces. The Antarctic meteorite searches gained prominence last year when NASA scientists said they believed that a Martian meteorite discovered during Cassidy's 1984 expedition to Allen Hills contained fossilized signs of life. Scientists are still arguing about the claims, but the episode demonstrated the potential of meteorite searches. The more meteorites that can be gathered, the more likely it is that scientists find something fantastic, such as the Martian meteorite.