The Endangered Antarctic Meteorites & the researchers who feed on them.
As glaciers around the world transform into rivers and ultimately dry ravines, entire ecosystems will be changed forever. While we often talk about the problems faced by polar bears and penguins, we must also consider the less fluffy endangered creatures, such as the rare planetary science graduate student.
This starved-for-data subgroup of humans, along with the more common geology graduate student, is known to migrate by the dozen to glaciers every summer as they search out one of their favorite research foods: meteorites.
Working side-by-side with members of their sub-group who have somehow survived to become senior scientists and faculty, these early-career researchers learn to forage along the surfaces and melting ends of glaciers for meteorites revealed by the glaciers’ melting.
It is estimated that 300,000 meteorites are at the surface of the Antarctic ice sheet. During their summer meteorite hunt, eager researchers can gather as many as 1000 meteorites that can feed their research for months or sometimes even years. Without climate change, these rare scientists could go centuries without needing to find new hunting sites.
Unfortunately, because of climate change, things are going to get much harder for these young researchers. With every…
