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.

Cosmic dust found in city rooftop gutters

Cosmic dust found in city rooftop gutters
PhysOrg, December 7, 2016

https://phys.org/news/2016-12-cosmic-city-rooftop-gutters.html

http://www.sciencealert.com/cosmic-dust-has-been-discovered-on-city-rooftops-for-the-first-time

The paper is:
Genge, M.J., J. Larsen, M. Van Ginneken, and M.D. Suttle, 2016,
An urban collection of modern-day large micrometeorites:
Evidence for variations in the extraterrestrial dust flux through
the Quaternary. Geology, First published online December 2016,
doi: 10.1130/G38352.1

http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/early/2016/12/05/G38352.1.abstract

https://spiral.imperial.ac.uk/bitstream/10044/1/42484/9/Geology-2016-Genge-G38352.1.pdf

Yours,

Paul H.

Yanshan meteorite crater

Paul H bristolia at yahoo.com
Fri Jul 23 09:26:34 EDT 2004

I couldn't find any information about a "Yanshan
meteorite crater". Apparently, it is the "Yanshan
meteorite" as possibly discussed by Alexander Seidel
at:

http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/meteorite-list/2004-July/142637.html


What I found on the web was:

1. Xifengite at:
http://webmineral.com/data/Xifengite.shtml
http://www.mindat.org/locentry-5890.html

"Innermost in spheres, surrounded by nickel-iron
minerals and their oxidation products, apparently
of extraterrestrial origin, found in placers."

and 2. Gupeiite at:
http://webmineral.com/data/Gupeiite.shtml
http://www.mindat.org/locentry-5890.html

"Innermost in spheres, surrounded by nickel-iron
minerals and their oxidation products, apparently
of extraterrestrial origin, found in placers."

Some references for both minerals that I found are:

Dunn, P. J., Chao, G. Y., Fitzpatrick, J. J.,
Langley, R. H., Fleischer, M., and Zilczer,
J. A., 1986, New mineral names. American
Mineralogist. vol. 71, no. 1-2, pp. 227-232.
(February 1986)

Generalov, Mikhail and Naumov, Vladimir, 1996,
Iron-chromium carbides and iron silicides from
gold-platinum-bearing placer of the Urals (Russia).
Congres Geologique International, Resumes
(30th) [International Geological Congress,
Abstracts] vol. 30, no.2, pp. 447

Zuxian, Y., 1984, Two new minerals gupeiite and
xifengite in cosmic dusts from Yanshan. Yen
Kuang Tse Shih. [Acta Petrologica Mineralogica
et Analytica] vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 231-238
(September 1984)

Zuxian, Y., 1986, Some new minerals from platinum-
bearing rocks in Yanshan and Tibet regions, China.
Dizhi Yanjiuso Sokan [Bulletin of the Institute
of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences]
vol. 2, no. 15, pp. 49-57.

It appears that these minerals were first found in
"cosmic dust" (Dunn et al. 1986 and Zuxian 1984) and
later found in platinum-bearing rocks and placers
(Zuxian 1986 and Generalov and Vladimir 1996).

Yours,

Paul
Baton Rouge, LA