Meteorite hunting

[1] Although meteorites fall uniformly across the globe they do not typically remain on the surface in areas with a large amount of yearly rainfall.

Some arctic and desert regions have proven to be well-suited to preserving meteorites, and can provide excellent surfaces for hunting visually.

[2] This doctrine contrasts with the once-predominant rule in state courts on the finding of treasure trove, where buried gold or silver coinage (or paper money representing the same) is deemed to belong to the finder.

[7] A BLM memorandum of September 10, 2012, reaffirms that meteorites found on public land belong to the Federal Government.

As it does so, the exposed snow and ice are removed by fierce winds and sublimation, effectively harvesting the embedded meteorites and leaving them to lie on the surface along the length of the mountain ridge.

[13] When that occurs local residents and schoolchildren will often seek to locate and pick up the fragments due to their potential value.

In the case of the Chelyabinsk meteor, many were located in snowdrifts by following a visible hole that had been left in the outer surface of the snow.

Desert prospecting for meteorites
Metal detectors help hunters locate meteorites in a strewn field
Meteorite hunters look for specimens that possess certain characteristics. A laboratory analysis by a qualified meteoriticist , however, is the only way to tell if a potential meteorite is genuine.
Prospecting in Antarctica, aided by the sharp contrast between dark meteorites and the snow-covered surface.