ANTARCTIC METEORITE LOCATION AND MAPPING PROJECT (AMLAMP)
EXPLANATORY TEXT

The Allan Hills Middle Western Icefield (76^° 50'S 158^° 26'E) is situated approximately 25 kilometers southwest of the Allan Hills Main Icefield (ALH-DAV-Figure 1- 46 KB JPEG). This northwest-trending icefield is nearly 20 kilometers long and up to 3.5 kilometers wide. ALH3-Figure 1 (35 KB JPEG) is a LANDSAT image showing the Middle Western Icefield and the location of two slope profiles. The slope profiles diagrammed in ALH3-Figure 2 (18 KB JPEG) are given to show the general topography of the icefield.

Five meteorites were reportedly recovered from the Middle Western Icefield on a helicopter reconnaissance search during the 1978-1979 season. No field numbers or location information were recorded for these specimens. A total of 80 meteorites were recovered from the Middle Western Icefield during the 1981-1982, 1983-1984, and 1984-1985 seasons. During the 1999-2000 season a small field party conducting glaciological studies in the area recovered a single meteorite specimen.

ALH3-Table 1 gives a tabulation of the various meteorite types from the Middle Western Icefield collection. Of note, ALH 81005, the first recognized lunar meteorite, was recovered from this icefield.

Most of the meteorite locations on the Middle Western Icefield were determined using theodolite/EDM methods. Thus, the relative locations of specimens found and surveyed in different seasons is known. One meteorite, ALH 87906, was recovered from the northernmost ice patch at the northwest end of the icefield area during a brief visit by an ANSMET expedition during the 1987-88 field season. The location for this meteorite was not determined.

Acknowledgments; We thank Ian Whillans and John Schutt (1981-1982); William Cassidy, Robert Fudali, A.C. Hitch, Kunihiko Nishiizumi, Paul Pellas, Ludolf Schultz, John Schutt, and Paul Sipiera (1983-1984); Catherine King-Frazier, Scott Sandford, Roberta Score, Carl Thompson, and Robert Walker (1984-1985); Gary Huss, Carl Thompson, Jerry Wagstaff, and Peter Wasilewski (1987-1988) for their contributions. Blue Spikes and Leigh Sterns contributed the specimens found during  the 1999-2000 season's activities.

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