Extraterrestrial Chromite Grains Research Articles

Late Eocene 3He and Ir anomalies associated with ordinary chondritic spinels

During the late Eocene there was an enigmatic enhancement in the flux of extraterrestrial material to Earth. Evidence comes from sedimentary 3He records indicating an increased flux of interplanetary dust during ca. 2Myr, as well as two very large impact structures, Popigai (100km diameter) and Chesapeake Bay (40–85km), that formed within 10–20kyr at the peak of the 3He delivery. The Massignano section in Italy has one of the best sedimentary records of these events, including a well-defined 3He record, an Ir-rich ejecta bed related to the Popigai impact event, and two smaller Ir anomalies. Recently we showed that the Popigai ejecta is associated with a significant enrichment of chromite grains (>63μm) with an H-chondritic elemental composition (17 grains in 100kg of rock). Most likely these grains are unmelted fragments from the impactor. Slightly higher up (ca. 20cm) in the section, where a small Ir anomaly possibly related to the Chesapeake Bay impact has been measured, we found a weak enrichment in L-chondritic grains (8 grains in 208kg of rock). Here we report an extended data set increasing the total amount of sediment dissolved in acid and searched for extraterrestrial chromite grains from 658 to 1168kg. In altogether 760kg of background sediment from 17 levels over 14m of strata outside the interval corresponding to the Popigai and Chesapeake Bay impacts, we only found 2 extraterrestrial chromite grains. Both grains have L-chondritic compositions and were found in a 100kg sample from the ca. 10.25m level in the section where the second of the smaller Ir anomalies has been reported. A correlation appears to exist between Ir, 3He and chromite from ordinary chondrites. We also report oxygen three-isotope measurements of the extraterrestrial chromite grains associated with the Popigai ejecta and confirm an H-chondritic composition.The new results strengthen our scenario that the upper Eocene 3He and Ir enrichments originate from the asteroid belt rather than the Oort cloud as originally proposed when the 3He anomaly was discovered. The generally low background concentrations of extraterrestrial chromite through the section speak against any major single asteroid breakup event such as in the mid-Ordovician after the break-up of the L-chondrite parent body. Instead the data reconcile with a small, possibly a factor of 2–3, increase in the flux of extraterrestrial material to Earth, but of both H- and L-chondritic composition. We also report the composition of all the 2310 terrestrial chrome spinel grains recovered, and show that their chemical composition indicates a dominantly regional ophiolitic source. Four anomalous chrome spinel grains with high Ti and V concentrations were found in the Popigai ejecta. These grains originate from Siberian Traps basalts in the Popigai crater at the time of impact.

A search for H-chondritic chromite grains in sediments that formed immediately after the breakup of the L-chondrite parent body 470 Ma ago

A large abundance of L-chondritic material, mainly in the form of fossil meteorites and chromite grains from micrometeorites, has been found in mid-Ordovician 470Ma old sediments globally. The material has been determined to be ejecta from the L chondrite parent body breakup event, a major collision in the asteroid belt 470Ma ago. In this study we search the same sediments for H-chondritic chromite grains in order to improve our understanding of the extraterrestrial flux to Earth after the asteroid breakup event. We have used SIMS in conjunction with quantitative SEM/EDS to determine the three oxygen isotopic and elemental compositions, respectively, of a total of 120 randomly selected, sediment-dispersed extraterrestrial chromite grains mainly representing micrometeorites from 470Ma old post-breakup limestone from the Thorsberg quarry in Sweden and the Lynna River site in Russia. We show that 99% or more of the grains are L-chondritic, whereas the H-chondritic fraction is 1% or less. The L-/H-chondrite ratio after the breakup thus was >99 compared to 1.1 in today’s meteoritic flux. This represents independent evidence, in agreement with previous estimates based on sediment-dispersed extraterrestrial chromite grain abundances and sedimentation rates, of a two orders of magnitude higher post-breakup flux of L-chondritic material in the micrometeorite fraction. Finally, we confirm the usefulness of three oxygen isotopic SIMS analyses of individual extraterrestrial chromite grains for classification of equilibrated ordinary chondrites. The H- and L-chondritic chromites differ both in their three oxygen isotopic and elemental compositions, but there is some overlap between the groups. In chromite, TiO2 is the oxide most resistant to diagenesis, and the combined application of TiO2 and oxygen three-isotope analysis can resolve uncertainties arising from the compositional overlaps.

He and Ne in individual chromite grains from the regolith breccia Ghubara (L5): Exploring the history of the L chondrite parent body regolith

AbstractWe analyzed He and Ne in chromite grains from the regolith breccia Ghubara (L5), to compare it with He and Ne in sediment‐dispersed extraterrestrial chromite (SEC) grains from mid‐Ordovician sediments. These SEC grains arrived on Earth as micrometeorites in the aftermath of the L chondrite parent body (LCPB) breakup event, 470 Ma ago. A significant fraction of them show prolonged exposure to galactic cosmic rays for up to several 10 Ma. The majority of the cosmogenic noble gases in these grains were probably acquired in the regolith of the LCPB (Meier et al. ). Ghubara, an L chondritic regolith breccia with an Ar‐Ar shock age of 470 Ma, is a sample of that regolith. We find cosmic‐ray exposure ages of up to several 10 Ma in some Ghubara chromite grains, confirming for the first time that individual chromite grains with such high exposure ages indeed existed in the LCPB regolith, and that the >10 Ma cosmic‐ray exposure ages found in recent micrometeorites are thus not necessarily indicative of an origin in the Kuiper Belt. Some Ghubara chromite grains show much lower concentrations of cosmogenic He and Ne, indicating that the 4π (last‐stage) exposure age of the Ghubara meteoroid lasted only 4–6 Ma. This exposure age is considerably shorter than the 15–20 Ma suggested before from bulk analyses, indicating that bulk samples have seen regolith pre‐exposure as well. The shorter last‐stage exposure age probably links Ghubara to a small peak of 40Ar‐poor L5 chondrites of the same exposure age. Furthermore, and quite unexpectedly, we find a Ne component similar to presolar Ne‐HL in the chromite grains, perhaps indicating that some presolar Ne can be preserved even in meteorites of petrologic type 5.

Cosmic-ray exposure ages of fossil micrometeorites from mid-Ordovician sediments at Lynna River, Russia

We measured the He and Ne concentrations of 50 individual extraterrestrial chromite grains recovered from mid-Ordovician (lower Darriwilian) sediments from the Lynna River section near St. Petersburg, Russia. High concentrations of solar wind-like He and Ne found in most grains indicate that they were delivered to Earth as micrometeoritic dust, while their abundance, stratigraphic position and major element composition indicate an origin related to the L chondrite parent body (LCPB) break-up event, 470Ma ago. Compared to sediment-dispersed extraterrestrial chromite (SEC) grains extracted from coeval sediments at other localities, the grains from Lynna River are both highly concentrated and well preserved. As in previous work, in most grains from Lynna River, high concentrations of solar wind-derived He and Ne impede a clear quantification of cosmic-ray produced He and Ne. However, we have found several SEC grains poor in solar wind Ne, showing a resolvable contribution of cosmogenic 21Ne. This makes it possible, for the first time, to determine robust cosmic-ray exposure (CRE) ages in these fossil micrometeorites, on the order of a few hundred-thousand years. These ages are similar to the CRE ages measured in chromite grains from cm-sized fossil meteorites recovered from coeval sediments in Sweden. As the CRE ages are shorter than the orbital decay time of grains of this size by Poynting–Robertson drag, this suggests that the grains were delivered to Earth through direct injection into an orbital resonance. We demonstrate how CRE ages of fossil micrometeorites can be used, in principle, to determine sedimentation rates, and to correlate the sediments at Lynna River with the fossil meteorite-bearing sediment layers in Sweden. In some grains with high concentrations of solar wind Ne, we nevertheless find a well-resolved cosmogenic 21Ne signal. These grains must have been exposed for up to several 10Ma in the regolith layer of the pre-break-up L chondrite parent body. This confirms an earlier suggestion that such regolith grains should be abundant in sediments deposited shortly after the break-up of the LCPB asteroid.

Extensive soft-sediment deformation structures in the early Darriwilian (Middle Ordovician) shallow marine siliciclastic sediments formed on the Baltoscandian carbonate ramp, northwestern Estonia

Abstract The nearshore Middle Ordovician (early Darriwilian) deposits of the Baltoscandian Basin, formed on the flank of tectonically stable Fennoscandian Shield, comprise numerous soft-sediment deformation structures. The areal extent of the deformed interval extends up to 9000 km 2 from NW Estonia to SE Sweden. The deformation structures occur within a meter-scale sandstone horizon that includes load casts, flame structures, ball-and-pillow morphologies, up to 2 m wide sedimentary dykes, autoclastic breccias, sand volcanoes, and other related soft-sediment deformation structures. Evidently, these deformation structures formed during a single seismic event that caused liquefaction and fluidization of the water-saturated unconsolidated shallow marine sediments within almost the entire sandstone unit (Pakri Formation). Probably a unique catastrophic earthquake of magnitude 7 or higher occurred in this region penecontemporaneously with the deposition of these sediments. The ultimate cause of seismic event of such magnitude in the tectonically stable Baltoscandian Basin is unclear. However, deposition and deformation of the Pakri Formation fall within the Middle Ordovician meteoritic bombardment period which resulted from the disruption of a large parent body in the asteroid belt approximately 470 Ma ago. This in turn suggests a potential impact-origin for the single catastrophic earthquake in the tectonically stable study region. Although impact crater of suitable age is currently not known from the region, then previous studies have documented some impact metamorphic shock lamellae (i.e. PDFs) and abundant extraterrestrial chromite grains from the deformed sediments.

A global rain of micrometeorites following breakup of the L‐chondrite parent body—Evidence from solar wind‐implanted Ne in fossil extraterrestrial chromite grains from China

Abstract– Previous studies of limestone beds of mid‐Ordovician age from both Sweden and China show that the Earth saw an at least two orders of magnitude increase in the influx of extraterrestrial material approximately 470 Ma, following the disruption of an L‐chondrite parent body in the asteroid belt. Recovered extraterrestrial material consists of fossil meteorites and sediment‐dispersed extraterrestrial chromite (SEC) grains, both with L‐chondritic origin. Ne isotope analysis of SEC grains from one of the Swedish limestone sections revealed that the vast majority of the grains were delivered to Earth as micrometeorites. In this study, we extend the previous work, both in time and geographically, by measuring concentrations and isotopic ratios of Ne in individual SEC grains (60–120 μm in diameter) from three different beds from a contemporary Middle Ordovician limestone section in China. All of the Chinese SEC grains, 44 in total, contain surface‐implanted Ne of fractionated solar wind composition, implying that these grains were, as in the case of the Swedish SEC grains, delivered to Earth as micrometeorites. This gives further compelling evidence that the two to three orders of magnitude increase in the influx of micrometeoritic material following the breakup of the L‐chondrite parent body was indeed a global event. The rain of micrometeorites prevailed for at least 2 Myr (the estimated time of the deposition of the topmost Chinese bed) after the breakup event.

A Russian record of a Middle Ordovician meteorite shower: Extraterrestrial chromite at Lynna River, St. Petersburg region

Abstract– Numerous fossil meteorites and high concentrations of sediment‐dispersed extraterrestrial chromite (EC) grains with ordinary chondritic composition have previously been documented from 467 ± 1.6 Ma Middle Ordovician (Darriwilian) strata. These finds probably reflect a temporarily enhanced influx of L‐chondritic matter, following the disruption of the L‐chondrite parent body in the asteroid belt 470 ± 6 Ma. In this study, a Volkhovian‐Kundan limestone/marl succession at Lynna River, northwestern Russia, has been searched for EC grains (>63 μm). Eight samples, forming two separate sample sets, were collected. Five samples from strata around the Asaphus expansus–A. raniceps trilobite Zone boundary, in the lower‐middle Kundan, yielded a total of 496 EC grains in 65.5 kg of rock (average 7.6 EC grains kg−1, but up to 10.2 grains kg−1). These are extremely high concentrations, three orders of magnitude higher than “background” levels in similar condensed sediment from other periods. EC grains are typically about 50 times more abundant than terrestrial chrome spinel in the samples and about as common as terrestrial ilmenite. Three stratigraphically lower lying samples, close to the A. lepidurus–A. expansus trilobite Zone boundary, at the Volkhov‐Kunda boundary, yielded only two EC grains in 38.2 kg of rock (0.05 grains kg−1). The lack of commonly occurring EC grains in the lower interval probably reflects that these strata formed before the disruption of the L‐chondrite parent body. The great similarity in EC chemical composition between this and other comparable studies indicates that all or most EC grains in these Russian mid‐Ordovician strata share a common source––the L‐chondrite parent body.

Biotic dynamics and carbonate microfacies of the conspicuous Darriwilian (Middle Ordovician) ‘Täljsten’ interval, south-central Sweden

Enclosed in the Darriwilian (Middle Ordovician) part of the reddish ‘orthoceratite limestone’ of Baltoscandia is a conspicuous c. 1.5m thick unit colloquially known as the ‘Täljsten’ interval. It has a wide geographical distribution in the Baltoscandian paleocontinent but is particularly well exposed in south-central Sweden. The unit is characterized by its deviant gray color and beds with a mass occurrence of cystoid echinoderms. Moreover, the recent discovery of an anomalous abundance of extraterrestrial chromite grains and micrometeorites in the ‘Täljsten’ and immediately adjacent strata bear witness of a time of deposition correlating to an increased influx of extraterrestrial matter to Earth. In this study we analyze the faunal dynamics, based primarily on microfossils and carbonate microfacies, across this intriguing interval. Generally known as a macrolithologically monotonous succession, the ‘Täljsten’ proved more heterogeneous than previously believed in terms of fossil content and preservation, as well as mineral content and composition. The general texture is wackestone/packstone, but local heterogeneities are frequent. A microfaunal reorganization occurred with a transition from a trilobite- and brachiopod-dominated community to one dominated by echinoderms, which is mirrored also macroscopically by the cystoids. The latter pelmatozoans seem to have flourished and might even have aided in the formation of the numerous hardgrounds. The increase in echinoderms is linked to a Volkhovian increase in echinoderms in eastern Baltica. In the immediate post-‘Täljsten’ strata there is no distinct change back to the pre-‘Täljsten’ biota. Conodont and ostracod faunal diversity data reveal peak values in the ‘Täljsten’ compared to the enclosing strata, suggesting that the paleoenvironment was more suitable for higher diversity faunas of these metazoan groups. All data collectively support a regression in the beginning of the ‘Täljsten’, likely followed by transgression in its upper part.

Optimization of 18O measurement using NRA for studies of isotopic content in fossil meteorites

In this work, we discuss the possibility of a new approach to measuring oxygen isotope ratios in fossil meteorite samples, specifically one based on nuclear reaction analysis (NRA). Variations of oxygen ratios within meteoritic chromite grains can help to determine the type of meteorite to which the grains originally belonged. In this work, we have evaluated the possibility to use the reaction 18O(p, α)15N just above the 846keV resonance to estimate the relative oxygen-18 content in a number of test samples. Another technique has to be employed for oxygen-16 measurements. A large area segmented silicon detector is used to detect the produced α particles. Results of the experimental 18O measurements for a number of samples including four extraterrestrial chromite grains are presented and compared with SIMNRA simulations. The advantage of a segmented silicon detector in the form of inherent pile-up suppression can be clearly seen in the current work.

Extraterrestrial chromite distribution across the mid-Ordovician Puxi River section, central China: Evidence for a global major spike in flux of L-chondritic matter

Previous studies of mid-Ordovician limestone in Sweden have shown that over a stratigraphic interval representing a few million years there is a two orders-of-magnitude enrichment in fossil L-chondritic meteorites (Ø = 1–21 cm) and sediment-dispersed extraterrestrial chromite (EC) grains (>63 μm). This has been interpreted as a dramatic increase in the flux of L-chondritic matter to Earth following the breakup of the L-chondrite parent body, which based on Ar–Ar gas retention ages (470 ± 6 Ma) of recently fallen meteorites occurred at about this time. Here we show that the general trend in the distribution of sediment-dispersed EC grains can be reproduced in the Puxi River section in central China. A total of 288 kg of limestone was searched for chrome spinels. In samples spanning the lower 8 m of the section, representing the Paroistodus originalis and Lenodus antivariabilis conodont zones, a total of 110 kg of limestone yielded only one EC grain. Similarly to the Swedish sections, EC grains begin to be common in the overlying L. variabilis Zone and remain common throughout the upper 9 m of the section, representing the L. variabilis, Yangtzeplacognathus crassus and L. pseudoplanus zones. In this part of the section 178 kg of limestone yielded 290 EC grains, with an average chemical composition very similar to chromite from recent L chondrites. In most of the beds over this interval one finds 1–4 EC grains per kilogram rock, a clear two orders-of-magnitude enrichment relative to the lower part of the section. Small bed-by-bed variations in the EC content over the upper interval most likely reflect small variations in sedimentation rates. The Puxi River section contains only very rare terrestrial chrome spinel grains, which can be distinguished already by their rounded, abraded appearance compared to the angular, pristine extraterrestrial spinels. In the mid-Ordovician, based on paleoplate reconstructions, the Puxi River site was positioned at mid-latitudes on the southern hemisphere a couple of thousand kilometers east of the Swedish sites. The prominent enrichment of EC grains over the same stratigraphic interval in China and Sweden is supporting evidence for a dramatic increase in the flux of L-chondritic matter to Earth shortly after the disruption of the L-chondrite parent body in the asteroid belt.

Noble gases in individual L chondritic micrometeorites preserved in an Ordovician limestone

We have measured the He and Ne concentrations and isotopic ratios of individual sediment-dispersed extraterrestrial chromite grains (63–180 μm in diameter) from an Ordovician limestone in southern Sweden. In the same sediment, many fossil meteorites were found and have been attributed to the L chondrite parent body breakup event ∼ 470 Ma ago. In this analysis of 37 individual extraterrestrial chromite grains of L chondritic major element composition, at least 35 (∼ 95%) contain surface-implanted helium and neon of fractionated solar wind composition, implying that these grains are (relict parts of) fossil micrometeorites of asteroidal origin. Similar to what has been observed in recent micrometeorites collected in the polar regions, significant amounts of cosmogenic 21Ne were found in several grains, resulting in cosmic ray exposure (CRE) ages of up to ∼ 77 Myr. These ages exceed both dynamical lifetimes for asteroidal micrometeorites of this size as well as CRE ages observed in chromites from fossil meteorites from the same sediment beds. Significant contributions from terrestrial sources, like nucleogenic and cosmic-ray muon induced 21Ne can be excluded in the extraterrestrial chromites, since 11 terrestrial chrome spinel grains from the same sediment beds did not contain any measurable 21Ne excesses. Having found micrometeorites of undisputed asteroidal origin with cosmic ray exposure ages of several 10 7 years implies that high cosmic ray exposure ages alone are not a good indicator of cometary origin, in opposition to what has been suggested for recent micrometeorites and IDPs. We propose instead that these grains collected their cosmogenic 21Ne while residing in the regolith layer of their parent body.

A single asteroidal source for extraterrestrial Ordovician chromite grains from Sweden and China: High-precision oxygen three-isotope SIMS analysis

We examined oxygen three-isotope ratios of 48 extraterrestrial chromite (EC) grains extracted from mid-Ordovician sediments from two different locations in Sweden, and one location in south-central China. The ages of the sediments (similar to 470 Ma) coincide with the breakup event of the L chondrite parent asteroid. Elemental compositions of the chromite grains are generally consistent with their origin from L or LL chondrite parent bodies. The average Delta O-17 (parts per thousand-deviation from the terrestrial mass-fractionation line, measured in situ from 15 mu m spots by secondary ion mass spectrometry; SIMS) of EC grains extracted from fossil meteorites from Thorsberg and Brunflo are 1.17 +/- 0.09 parts per thousand (2 sigma) and 1.25 +/- 0.16 parts per thousand, respectively, and those of fossil micrometeorites from Thorsberg and Puxi River are 1.10 +/- 0.09 parts per thousand, and 1.11 +/- 0.12 parts per thousand, respectively. Within uncertainty these values are all the same and consistent with the L chondrite group average Delta O-17 = 1.07 +/- 0.18 parts per thousand, but also with the LL chondrite group average Delta O-17 = 1.26 +/- 0.24 parts per thousand. (Clayton et al., 1991). We conclude that the studied EC grains from correlated sediments from Sweden and China are related, and most likely originated in the same event, the L chondrite parent body breakup. We also analyzed chromites of modern H, L and LL chondrites and show that their Delta O-17 values coincide with averages of Delta O-17 of bulk analyses of H, L and LL chondrites. This study demonstrates that in situ oxygen isotope data measured by SIMS are accurate and precise if carefully standardized, and can be used to classify individual extraterrestrial chromite grains found in sediments. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (Less)

The origin of the Brunflo fossil meteorite and extraterrestrial chromite in mid‐Ordovician limestone from the Gärde quarry (Jämtland, central Sweden)

Abstract— The Brunflo fossil meteorite was found in the 1950s in mid‐Ordovician marine limestone in the Gärde quarry in Jämtland. It originates from strata that are about 5 million years younger than similar limestone that more recently has yielded >50 fossil meteorites in the Thorsberg quarry at Kinnekulle, 600 km to the south. Based primarily on the low TiO2 content (about 1.8 wt%) of its relict chromite the Brunflo meteorite had been tentatively classified as an H chondrite. The meteorite hence appears to be an anomaly in relation to the Kinnekulle meteorites, in which chromite composition, chondrule mean diameter and oxygen isotopic composition all indicate an L‐chondritic origin, reflecting an enhanced flux of meteorites to Earth following the disruption of the L chondrite parent body 470 Ma. New chondrule‐size measurements for the Brunflo meteorite indicate that it too is an L chondrite, related to the same parent‐body breakup. Chromite maximum diameters and well‐defined chondrule structures further show that Brunflo belongs to the L4 or L5 type. Chromites in recently fallen L4 chondrites commonly have low TiO2 contents similar to the Brunflo chromites, adding support for Brunflo being an L4 chondrite. The limestone in the Gärde quarry is relatively rich (about 0.45 grain kg−1) in sediment‐dispersed extraterrestrial chromite grains (>63 μm) with chemical composition similar to those in L chondrites and the limestone (1–3 grains kg−1) at Kinnekulle, suggesting that the enhanced flux of L chondrites prevailed, although somewhat diminished, at the time when the Brunflo meteorite fell.

Noble gases in fossil micrometeorites and meteorites from 470 Myr old sediments from southern Sweden, and new evidence for the L‐chondrite parent body breakup event

Abstract— We present noble gas analyses of sediment‐dispersed extraterrestrial chromite grains recovered from ˜470 Myr old sediments from two quarries (Hällekis and Thorsberg) and of relict chromites in a coeval fossil meteorite from the Gullhögen quarry, all located in southern Sweden. Both the sediment‐dispersed grains and the meteorite Gullhögen 001 were generated in the L‐chondrite parent body breakup about 470 Myr ago, which was also the event responsible for the abundant fossil meteorites previously found in the Thorsberg quarry. Trapped solar noble gases in the sediment‐dispersed chromite grains have partly been retained during ˜470 Myr of terrestrial residence and despite harsh chemical treatment in the laboratory. This shows that chromite is highly retentive for solar noble gases. The solar noble gases imply that a sizeable fraction of the sediment‐dispersed chromite grains are micrometeorites or fragments thereof rather than remnants of larger meteorites. The grains in the oldest sediment beds were rapidly delivered to Earth likely by direct injection into an orbital resonance in the inner asteroid belt, whereas grains in younger sediments arrived by orbital decay due to Poynting‐Robertson (P‐R) drag. The fossil meteorite Gullhögen 001 has a low cosmic‐ray exposure age of ˜0.9 Myr, based on new He and Ne production rates in chromite determined experimentally. This age is comparable to the ages of the fossil meteorites from Thorsberg, providing additional evidence for very rapid transfer times of material after the L‐chondrite parent body breakup.

Extraterrestrial chromite in latest Maastrichtian and Paleocene pelagic limestone at Gubbio, Italy: The flux of unmelted ordinary chondrites

Abstract— –The distribution of sediment‐dispersed extraterrestrial (ordinary chondritic) chromite (EC) grains (>63 μm) has been studied across the latest Maastrichtian and Paleocene in the Bottaccione Gorge section at Gubbio, Italy. This section is ideal for determining the accumulation rate of EC because of its condensed nature and well‐constrained sedimentation rates. In a total of 210 kg of limestone representing eight samples of 14–28 kg distributed across 24 m of the Bottaccione section, only 6 EC grains were found (an average of 0.03 EC grains kg−1). In addition, one probable pallasitic chromite grain was found. No EC grains could be found in two samples at the Cretaceous‐Tertiary (K‐T) boundary, which is consistent with the K‐T boundary impactor being a carbonaceous chondrite or comet low in chromite. The average influx of EC to Earth is calculated to ∼∼0.26 grain m−2 kyr−1. This corresponds to a total flux of ∼∼200 tons of extraterrestrial matter per year, compared to ∼∼30,000 tons per year, as estimated from Os isotopes in deep‐sea sediments. The difference is explained by the EC grains representing only unmelted ordinary chondritic matter, predominantly in the size range from ∼∼0.1 mm to a few centimeters in diameter. Sedimentary EC grains can thus give important information on the extent to which micrometeorites and small meteorites survive the passage through the atmosphere. The average of 0.03 EC grain kg−1 in the Gubbio limestone contrasts with the up to ∼∼3 EC grains kg−1 in mid‐Ordovician limestone that formed after the disruption of the L chondrite parent body in the asteroid belt at ∼∼470 Ma. The two types of limestone were deposited at about the same rate, and the difference in EC abundance gives support for an increase by two orders of magnitude in the flux of chondritic matter directly after the asteroid breakup.

Distribution of extraterrestrial chromite in Middle Ordovician Komstad Limestone in the Killeröd quarry, Scania, Sweden

Sediment-dispersed extraterrestrial chromite grains (63–355 µm) have been recovered in a sectionacross the Arenig-Llanvirn transition in the Killeröd quarry in southeastern Scania. Previous studies of the same stratigraphic interval in the Orthoceratite Limestone at Kinnekulle, ca. 350 km to the north in Västergötland, have shown a two orders of magnitude increase in extraterrestrial chromite beginning close to the Arenig-Llanvirn boundary. The stratigraphic distribution and abundance trends of extraterrestrial chromite are essentially identical at Killeröd and Kinnekulle. In the Killeröd section extraterrestrial chromite grains are extremely rare (2 grains/125 kg of rock) in the Arenig lower 8 m of the section (Megistaspis simon to Asaphus expansus trilobite zones) and abundant (326 grains/162 kg of rock) in the succeeding ca. 3 m of uppermost Arenig and lower Llanvirn (upper A. expansus and A. raniceps zones) section. The extraterrestrial chromite grains at Killeröd and Kinnekulle are very similar in chemical composition, including characteristic elevated values and narrow ranges of V2O3 (0.6–0.9 wt%) and TiO2 (2.0–3.5 wt%). At Killeröd there is a small group (<4%) of chromite grains with relatively low TiO2 (1.5–2.0 wt%), but otherwise typical extraterrestrial compositions. These grains may reflect a somewhat more aggressive diagenetic environment at Killeröd than at Kinnekulle. As in previous studies, rare chrome spinel grains with terrestrial or uncertain origin have also been found in the limestone. The results of this study support previous suggestions that after the disruption of the L chondrite parent body in the asteroid belt at ca. 470 Ma, the flux of extraterrestrial matter to Earth was enhanced by up to two orders of magnitude compared to the present. This is supported by finds in Sweden of abundant fossil meteorites in uppermost Arenig and lower Llanvirn sediments. Whether these conclusions can be put into a global context awaits further study of Middle Ordovician limestones from other continents.

Extraterrestrial chromite in the resurge deposits of the early Late Ordovician Lockne crater, central Sweden

The distribution of extraterrestrial chromite grains (> 63 μm) has been studied in the resurge deposit of the early Late Ordovician (458 Ma) Lockne impact structure in central Sweden. A 1-kg-sample of resurge sediment from the rim of the crater is extremely rich in extraterrestrial chromite. In total the sample contains > 125 chromium spinel grains kg − 1 , most grains being chromite. Due to post-depositional alterations, the origin of several of the grains is dubious, although it is clear that the major part of the chromites is of extraterrestrial origin (> 75 grains kg − 1 ), most likely derived from the impactor. The alterations are primarily due to the hydrothermal system induced by the impactor, with zinc enrichment in the chromites as the most common characteristic. The element chemistry of the least altered chromite grains indicates that the impactor was an ordinary L chondrite. This concurs with a suggested increase in the flux of L chondritic asteroids to Earth, following the disruption of the L chondrite parent body at ca. 470 Ma. More than 170 impact craters are known from around the Earth, but only few of the impactors have been identified, mainly due to the low survival rate of projectile material. Further studies of impact craters will reveal if survival of extraterrestrial chromite is unique for the Lockne structure.

Extraterrestrial chromite in Middle Ordovician marine limestone at Kinnekulle, southern Sweden—Traces of a major asteroid breakup event

Abstract— The distribution of sediment‐dispersed extraterrestrial chromite grains and other Cr‐rich spinels (>63 μm) has been studied in Middle Ordovician Orthoceratite Limestone from two quarries at Kinnekulle, southern Sweden. In the Thorsberg quarry, an ˜3.2 m thick sequence of beds previously shown to be rich in fossil meteorites is also rich in sediment‐dispersed extraterrestrial chromite grains. Typically, 1–3 grains are found per kilogram of limestone. In the nearby Hällekis quarry, the same beds show similarly high concentrations of extraterrestrial chromite grains, but in samples representing the 9 m downward continuation of the section exposed at this site, only 5 such grains were found in a total of 379 kg of limestone. The extraterrestrial (equilibrated ordinary chondritic) chromite grains can be readily distinguished by a homogeneous and characteristic major element chemistry, including 2.0–3.5 wt% TiO2 and stable V2O3 concentrations close to 0.7 wt%. Terrestrial Cr‐rich spinels have a wide compositional range and co‐exist with extraterrestrial chromite in some beds. These grains may be derived, for example, from mafic dykes exposed and weathered at the sea floor.Considering lithologic and stratigraphic aspects variations in sedimentation rate cannot explain the dramatic increase in extraterrestrial chromite seen in the upper part of the composite section studied. Instead, the difference may be primarily related to an increase in the ancient flux of extraterrestrial matter to Earth in connection with the disruption of the L chondrite parent body in the asteroid belt at about this time. The coexistence in some beds of high concentrations of chondritic chromite and terrestrial Cr‐rich spinels, however, indicates that redistribution of heavy minerals on the sea floor, related to changes in sea level and sea‐floor erosion and currents, must also be considered.

Sediment-dispersed extraterrestrial chromite traces a major asteroid disruption event.

Abundant extraterrestrial chromite grains from decomposed meteorites occur in middle Ordovician (480 million years ago) marine limestone over an area of approximately 250,000 square kilometers in southern Sweden. The chromite anomaly gives support for an increase of two orders of magnitude in the influx of meteorites to Earth during the mid-Ordovician, as previously indicated by fossil meteorites. Extraterrestrial chromite grains in mid-Ordovician limestone can be used to constrain in detail the temporal variations in flux of extraterrestrial matter after one of the largest asteroid disruption events in the asteroid belt in late solar-system history.