Description, chemical composition, and origin of six microscopic spherules collected from the meteorite moraine in Antarctica: an SEM study

Microscopic spherules (100-1000 micrometers) have been found in glacial moraine deposits in Antarctica. Six spherules from the Meteorite Moraine of the Lewis Cliff ice tongue were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray analyzer. Both photomicrographs and chemical analyses were obtained. Calibration factors, based on four mineral standards, were used to convert peak-to-background ratios of most of the elements (Ti, Fe, Mn, Ca, Mg, Na, K, and Cr) to percent concentrations. The concentrations of Si, Al, and O were determined by the software used by the analyzer. The results of the analyses were compared both to average chemical compositions of Cl chondrites and bulk continental crust. All of the spherules were found to be chemically similar to Cl chondrites. From this I concluded that the sperules have an extraterrestrial origin and that they are most likely debris from the ablation of meteorites traveling through the atmosphere of the earth.No embarg