Fossil Micrometeorites Suggest Cosmic Dust is Common in the Geological Record

Fossil Micrometeorites Suggest Cosmic Dust is Common in the Geological Record

Suttle, M.D. and Genge, M.J., 2017. Diagenetically altered fossil
micrometeorites suggest cosmic dust is common the geological
record. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 476, pp.132-142.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X17304399

"We report the discovery of fossil micrometeorites from Late
Cretaceous chalk." (Seaford Chalk Formation, United Kingdom)

"However, this study demonstrates that fossil, pseudomorphic
micrometeorites can be recognized and are likely common within
the geological record."

It also appears that micrometeorites and cosmic spherules of
various ages are common in Antarctic surficial and glacial deposits.

Genge, M.J., Davies, B., Suttle, M.D., van Ginneken, M. and Tomkins,
A.G., 2017. The mineralogy and petrology of I-type cosmic spherules:
Implications for their sources, origins and identification in sedimentary
rocks. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 218, pp. 167-200.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016703717305495

Van Ginneken, M., Genge, M.J., Folco, L. and Harvey, R.P., 2016.
The weathering of micrometeorites from the Transantarctic
Mountains. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 179, pp. 1-31.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016703716300011
https://spiral.imperial.ac.uk/bitstream/10044/1/29482/9/1-s2.0-S0016703716300011-main.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293017461_The_weathering_of_micrometeorites_from_the_Transantarctic_Mountains
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Matthias_Van_Ginneken2

Although off-topic, the below is an interesting paper that is
currently open access.

T. C. Chamberlin, "Studies for Students:
The Method of Multiple Working Hypotheses,"
The Journal of Geology 5, no. 8
(Nov. - Dec., 1897): 837-848.
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/607980

Yours,

Paul H.