Atacama 1+2

Expedition #2

Expedition 2 was a year later in 2015.-This time prepared with more equipment, and most importantly, knowledge. Up until then, I still didn't have any hands-on experience, but I was confident in my ability to find a meteorite in the desert.

Loaded with the new knowledge, I stayed away from the moving sand dunes. These dunes essentially sand blast the meteorites into dust, so unfavourable for preservation. Also, they can cover stones that would otherwise be exposed in other areas. I decided to start working “blow out” areas where there is less moving debris. I also stayed close to any hill where it blocked the wind, and/or possibly helped condense meteorites at the bottom. The hill sides were steep and free of any terrestrial rocks, so it seemed like perfect terrain.

Within the first 2 days of hunting, I found a rock that fit the description- Black with oxidization, heavy, and highly magnetic...

It was a meteorite!

Upon further investigation, it was evident that more fragments were likely present. A thorough hunt in the surrounding area recovered 4 more fragments buried in the sand. After about 20 minutes of trying the pieces together, the puzzle was solved. They fit together and made a 1024 gram that appears to be oriented.

484.9 grams

Less than 2 meters from my first find

The thorough search near my first find paid off! Found less than 2 metres was a 484.9 gram that I suspect is paired to the 1 kilo. It is strange that the two pieces were found so close together since they appear to be separate individuals, but maybe the steep hillsides helped condense meteorites at the base. It was surreal to finally hold a meteorite after picking up hundreds, if not thousands of rocks. Even though I was extremely novice at the time, I knew those rocks were finally the real deal, and it was a moment of celebration. I knew I could find one, but never thought I would find 2 at the same time. This lit a fire and had me running for more!

After my first two discoveries, I was addicted! All of a sudden I wasn’t thirsty, or hungry, or tired. I just wanted to find another one. I soon realized that it’s not as easy as I thought, and I would come up empty handed for the next 3 days. As each day passed, the mind games would get worse, and when I started questioning what the hell I was doing, I knew this was exactly where I wanted to be. In a vast expanse of desert, searching for treasures from space.

5 kilo

In-Situ

After a few days of finding nothing, my luck started to turn around. I was hunting an area with small shrubs and few rocks in between. I started doing magnet tests on almost every rock that. The magnet stuck to a large white caliche rock. I was shocked to see it finally hit a rock with force. Without taking a closer look, I quickly tried testing another rock that was approximately 3 meters away. The magnet was also attracted, but not as strong. I then returned to the first one and examined it closer. I flipped it over, and quickly noticed the flow lines radiating outwards. It was definitely a meteorite, and oriented at that!

It was later pointed out by Chris Herd at the University of Alberta that this specimen appears to be double orientation, and exibits signs of flight in opposing directions.