Ground Penentrating Radar

[dinodigger]

We did some research in Kansas on a meteorite field and used GPR to help locate some specimens. We're used to Dinosaur field-work so this was a bit off the beaten path for us. The 154 pound meteorite was around ten feet deep or so, so we were on the lookout for fossils as well. We've never actually used GPR in the field for Dino research or other fossil research. There is a lot of interference when working with the machine, as we discovered with the meteorite research. The slightest bit of moisture in the ground will give off false readings. False readings come up with high metal content in the soil as well, such as iron. I think that the GPR would find every solid thing in the ground, but being able to specifically locate fossils, or dinosaurs for that matter is a bit of a stretch. If you have a partial skeleton exposed, then the GPR would work great to define the perimeters of the skeleton, or at least define the larger bones.

For those of you interested in meteorites, I added a link to the article on our dig.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15294523/ns/technology_and_science-science/

Chris Flis

[Boesse]

There was some experimenting with it in the early 90's... Museum of the Rockies doesn't use it anymore. Apparently its just too complicated, and it slows the whole excavation down. Bobby

[Ramo]

Were you out around Greensburg looking for meteorites? (My mom lives just north of town)

I saw Jurassic Park, and they used radar to find a completely articulate dinosaur. You should have contacted them before you started your research. Would have saved abunch of money

[dinodigger]

Greensburg, yep! It was a pretty neat town. If you think you've seen a "flat" earth, wait til you've seen Greensburg. About 12,000 years ago a meteor broke up over what is now Greensburg littering the area with meteorites as large as a car. What's REALLY cool, is that that humans would have been around to see this thing explode above them. What a day it must have been for them.

Initially, we set out to retrieve what was thought to be a five to ten ton meteorite, but with the time we had for the research we only retrieved the 150 lb'er. Still a large meteorite considering what is collected and studied today.

Jurassic Park... HA! What a great movie, and also a good movie to laugh at. My boss was a consultant on the movie; Dr. Robert Bakker; he, or should I say his character in the second movie, was eaten by a T-REX in the waterfall scene. Great scene. You don't get to see your buddy get eaten by a TREX every day...

As for the GPR... a bit of a stretch. Show me the prequel that led up to that discovery...

Cheers

Chris Flis

Edited February 15, 2010 by dinodigger

[Ramo]

Chris, I understood that someone ha leased up most of the ground in that area to hunt for meteorites. Were you able to find some ground that wasn't leased, or were you guys working with that guy?

Ramo

[dinodigger]

We did indeed work with this gentleman that is pretty famous for his meteorite collection. He had been working this area for quite a few years. The impact field was mapped out pretty well due to his own research, so he had a pretty good idea of what the perimeters were for the zone.

Chris

[MikeD]

Very cool, Chris. I didn't know you were a meteorite guy, too.

[Smaug]

Greensburg, yep! It was a pretty neat town. If you think you've seen a "flat" earth, wait til you've seen Greensburg. About 12,000 years ago a meteor broke up over what is now Greensburg littering the area with meteorites as large as a car. What's REALLY cool, is that that humans would have been around to see this thing explode above them. What a day it must have been for them.

I doubt that those people had the same sentiments as you (we) have now. Evaporating and burning on site isnt what i cale a nice show. From a distance it might have looked quite humbling i think...