Abstract:

4448 meteorites,including 2892 stone meteorites,1524 chondrites,25 carbonaceous chondrites,6 achondrites and 1 stone-iron meteorite,have been collected in Grove Mountains, Antarctica,during the 19th Chinese Antarctic Research Expedition(CHINARE)in 2002— 2003 austral summer.Blue ice surface of the southern,middle and northern segments of the Gale Escarpment was searched during this exploration,with discovery of 41,2684 and 1721 meteorites,respectively.We found meteorites on the blue ice surfaces searched with different discoveries of meteorites.Hence,it can be inferred that most other blue ice fields unsearched in Grove Mountains may have meteorites concentrated too.Most small pieces of meteorites (<100 g)on cancaves of blue ice fields or on windward slopes of moraines,were probably blown from the Gale Escarpment and/or upper ice plateau.Meteorites with mass more than 100 g were exposed on blue ice surface due to ablation of ice,and they were probably transported to the locations by glacier.The large number of meteorites demonstrates that the Grove Mountain is one of the most meteorite-concentrated areas in Antarctica.