Project Starfall South Coast Extension: Collection and Identification of Micrometeorite Candidates from Oregon South Coastal Environments

Poster Image
Event poster; details follow in description
Poster Session
A
Poster Number
04.3
Project Author(s)
Jake Bullard, Ellyzabeth Jones, Caleb Ostmo, Zac Warner
Institution
Southwestern Oregon Community College
Project Description

Southwestern Oregon Community College’s (SWOCC) Space Physics Engineering and Atmospheric Research (SPEAR) team continues to build on the prior research of OSGC program alumni Haley Dean and Ethyn Killinger, expanding our micrometeorite collection and analysis efforts in our coastal Oregon environment. Our team collects micrometeorites from rooftops, guttering, and storm drains using small, rare Earth magnets to attract ferromagnetic sediment. In the past year, we have collected in storm drains around the SWOCC campus, worked with faculty and students at North Bend High School to collect at their campus, and expanded our collection efforts to Bay Area Athletic Club and the trails around Mingus Park among other locations. The majority of samples we collect are from the rain wash off of roofs, so these additional sites could greatly increase our total number of collected samples. This collection method works very well, especially in our coastal area of Oregon, because undisturbed roof tops and their gutters can accumulate large quantities of potential candidate sedimentary material that otherwise would have fallen to the ground. As rain washes debris from roof tops, our magnet traps will collect magnetic material being carried through the building’s drainage. In the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years we have thus far identified 15 candidates. We are actively expanding our number of collection sites to not only collect additional samples, but to expand our local outreach and comparatively study to distribution of candidates found through our multiple sites.