An urban collection of modern-day large micrometeorites: evidence for variations in the extraterrestrial dust flux through the Quaternary
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Published version
Author(s)
Genge, MJ
Larsen, J
Van Ginneken, M
Suttle, M
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We report the discovery of significant numbers (500) of large micrometeorites (>100 μm) from rooftops in urban areas. The identification of particles as micrometeorites is achieved on the basis of their compositions, mineralogies, and textures. All particles are silicate-dominated (S type) cosmic spherules with subspherical shapes that form by melting during atmospheric entry and consist of quench crystals of magnesian olivine, relict crystals of forsterite, and iron-bearing olivine within glass. Four particles also contain Ni-rich metal-sulfide beads. Bulk compositions are chondritic apart from depletions in the volatile, moderately volatile, and siderophile elements, as observed in micrometeorites from other sources. The reported particles are likely to have fallen on Earth in the past 6 yr and thus represent the youngest large micrometeorites collected to date. The relative abundance ratio of barred olivine to cryptocrystalline spherule types in the urban particles of 1.45 is shown to be higher than a Quaternary average of ∼0.9, suggesting variations in the extraterrestrial dust flux over the past 800 k.y. Changes in the entry velocities of dust caused by quasi-periodic gravitational perturbation during transport to Earth are suggested to be responsible. Variations in cosmic spherule abundance within the geologic column are thus unavoidable and can be a consequence of dust transport as well as major dust production events.
Date Issued
2017-02-01
Date Acceptance
2016-11-04
Citation
Geology, 2017, 45 (2), pp.119-122
ISSN
1943-2682
Publisher
Geological Society of America
Start Page
119
End Page
122
Journal / Book Title
Geology
Volume
45
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
©The Authors Gold Open Access: This paper is published under the terms of the CC-BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/)
Sponsor
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Identifier
https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/article/45/2/119/195213/An-urban-collection-of-modern-day-large
Grant Number
ST/N000803/1
ST/J001260/1
ST/M003167/1
ST/M007642/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Geology
COSMIC SPHERULES
Geochemistry & Geophysics
04 Earth Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2017-06-02