Meteorite/Planetary Science Quiz

Question #4

What is the origin of stony cosmic spherules?

Stony cosmic spherules are micrometeorites, specifically, wholly melted, solidified droplets of meteoroids that melt during hypervelocity entry into the atmosphere.

A large majority are asteroidal in origin with fractional percentages (presumably) of cometary, moon, and martian material.

Terrestrial collected extraterrestrial spherules are smaller than 1 mm. Estimates on the amount of micrometeorite (both the irregular shaped unmelted particles and the totally melted spherules) material entering the Earth's upper atmosphere vary, with accepted values close to 30,000 ton/yr

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