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Micrometeorite
A meteorite subtype
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About Micrometeorite
(Sub-)Milimeter-size meteorites.
Every year 20 000 to 40 000 tonnes of cosmic dust fall on Earth. Approximately 10% of this dust survives atmospheric entry to become micrometeorites. This represents, in terms of mass, the largest part of the flux of extraterrestrial material reaching the Earth’s surface. The sizes of micrometeorites range from a few tens to 2000 µm.
The term micrometeorite was coined in 1950 by Whipple.
"Micrometeorites have been collected from deep-sea sediments, sedimentary rocks and polar sediments. They were previously collected primarily from polar snow and ice because of their low concentrations on the Earth's surface, but in 2016 a method to extract micrometeorites in urban environments was discovered." (Wikipedia)
A classification was proposed by Genge et al. (2008).
See also microtectite.
Every year 20 000 to 40 000 tonnes of cosmic dust fall on Earth. Approximately 10% of this dust survives atmospheric entry to become micrometeorites. This represents, in terms of mass, the largest part of the flux of extraterrestrial material reaching the Earth’s surface. The sizes of micrometeorites range from a few tens to 2000 µm.
The term micrometeorite was coined in 1950 by Whipple.
"Micrometeorites have been collected from deep-sea sediments, sedimentary rocks and polar sediments. They were previously collected primarily from polar snow and ice because of their low concentrations on the Earth's surface, but in 2016 a method to extract micrometeorites in urban environments was discovered." (Wikipedia)
A classification was proposed by Genge et al. (2008).
See also microtectite.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
472383
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:472383:3
Classification of Micrometeorite
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
Internet Links for Micrometeorite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-472383.html
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References for Micrometeorite
Reference List:
Whipple, F. L. (1950) The Theory of Micro-Meteorites: Part I. In an Isothermal Atmosphere. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 36 (12) 687-695 doi:10.1073/pnas.36.12.687
Whipple, F. L. (1951) The Theory of Micro-Meteorites: Part II. In Heterothermal Atmospheres. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 37 (1) 19-30 doi:10.1073/pnas.37.1.19
Crozier, W. D. (1961) Micrometeorite measurements-satellite and ground-level data compared. Journal of Geophysical Research, 66 (9) 2793-2795 doi:10.1029/jz066i009p02793
Krinov, E. L. (1961) The nature of micrometeorites. American Journal of Science, 259 (5) 391-395 doi:10.2475/ajs.259.5.391
Hibbs, A. R. (1961) The distribution of micrometeorites near the Earth. Journal of Geophysical Research, 66 (2) 371 doi:10.1029/jz066i002p00371
Soberman, R. K., Hemenway, C. L. (1962) Micrometeorite Collection from a Recoverable Sounding Rocket. II. The Astronomical Journal, 67. 121pp. doi:10.1086/108855
Lebedinets, V.N., Shushkova, V.B. (1970) Micrometeorite sputtering in the ionosphere. Planetary and Space Science, 18 (11) 1653-1659 doi:10.1016/0032-0633(70)90039-5
KERRIDGE, J. F. (1970) Micrometeorite Environment at the Earth's Orbit. Nature, 228 (5272). 616-619 doi:10.1038/228616a0
Hörz, F., Hartung, J. B., Gault, D. E. (1971) Micrometeorite craters on lunar rock surfaces. Journal of Geophysical Research, 76 (23) 5770-5798 doi:10.1029/jb076i023p05770
Brownlee, D. E., Rajan, R. S. (1973) Micrometeorite Craters Discovered on Chondrule-Like Objects from Kapoeta Meteorite. Science, 182 (4119). 1341-1344 doi:10.1126/science.182.4119.1341
Fraundorf, P. (1980) The distribution of temperature maxima for micrometeorites decelerated in the Earth's atmosphere without melting. Geophysical Research Letters, 7 (10) 765-768 doi:10.1029/gl007i010p00765
Schramm, L. S., Brownlee, D. E., Wheelock, M. M. (1989) Major element composition of stratospheric micrometeorites. Meteoritics, 24 (2) 99-112 doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1989.tb00950.x
Michel-Levy, Mireille Christophe, Bourot-Denise, Michèle (1992) Mineral compositions in Antarctic and Greenland micrometeorites. Meteoritics, 27 (1) 73-80 doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1992.tb01057.x
Steele, Ian M. (1992) Olivine in Antarctic micrometeorites: Comparison with other extraterrestrial olivine. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 56 (7) 2923-2929 doi:10.1016/0016-7037(92)90368-s
Love, Stanley G., Brownlee, Donald E. (1994) Peak atmospheric entry temperatures of micrometeorites. Meteoritics, 29 (1) 69-70 doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1994.tb00653.x
Kurat, Gero, Koeberl, Christian, Presper, Thomas, Brandstätter, Franz, Maurette, Michel (1994) Petrology and geochemistry of Antarctic micrometeorites. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 58 (18) 3879-3904 doi:10.1016/0016-7037(94)90369-7
Maurette, M. (1996) Micrometeorites and the origin of life. Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere, 26 (3) 215-216 doi:10.1007/bf02459720
GENGE, MATTHEW (1998) Micrometeorites: Little rocks with a big message. Geology Today, 14 (5) 177-181 doi:10.1046/j.1365-2451.1998.00005.x
ENGRAND, CÉCILE, MAURETTE, MICHEL (1998) Carbonaceous micrometeorites from Antarctica. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 33 (4) 565-580 doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1998.tb01665.x
Taylor, Susan, Lever, James H., Harvey, Ralph P. (1998) Accretion rate of cosmic spherules measured at the South Pole. Nature, 392 (6679). 899-903 doi:10.1038/31894
RIETMEIJER, Frans J. M. (2000) Interrelationships among meteoric metals, meteors, interplanetary dust, micrometeorites, and meteorites. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 35 (5) 1025-1041 doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2000.tb01490.x
Kojima, Hideyasu (2001) Sample distribution of Japanese Antarctic micrometeorites. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 36. doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2001.tb01543.x
Rietmeijer, Frans J.M. (2004) Microanalyses of interplanetary dust particles and micrometeorites: implications for sample return missions to undifferentiated protoplanets. Advances in Space Research, 34. 2286-2291 doi:10.1016/j.asr.2003.04.065
Genge, M. J., Gileski, A., Grady, M. M. (2005) Chondrules in Antarctic micrometeorites. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 40 (2) 225-238 doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2005.tb00377.x
Genge, Matthew J. (2008) Micrometeorites and Their Implications for Meteors. Earth, Moon, and Planets, 102 (1) 525-535 doi:10.1007/s11038-007-9185-z
Suavet, C., Rochette, P., Gattacceca, J., Folco, L. (2008) Micrometeorites: A possible bias on the sedimentary magnetic record. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 9 (11) doi:10.1029/2008gc002160
Genge, M. J., Engrand, C., Gounelle, M., Taylor, S. (2008) The classification of micrometeorites. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 43 (3) 497-515 doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2008.tb00668.x
Varela, M.E., Kurat, G. (2009) Glasses in coarse-grained micrometeorites. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 284 (1) 208-218 doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2009.04.030
Suavet, C., Gattacceca, J., Rochette, P., Perchiazzi, N., Folco, L., Duprat, J., Harvey, R. P. (2009) Magnetic properties of micrometeorites. Journal of Geophysical Research, 114. doi:10.1029/2008jb005831
TAYLOR, Susan, MATRAJT, Graciela, GUAN, Yunbin (2012) Fine-grained precursors dominate the micrometeorite flux. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 47 (4) 550-564 doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.2011.01292.x
Imae, Naoya (2012) Cometary dust in Antarctic micrometeorites. Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, 8. 123-129 doi:10.1017/s1743921312016766
Imae, Naoya, Taylor, Susan, Iwata, Naoyoshi (2013) Micrometeorite precursors: Clues from the mineralogy and petrology of their relict minerals. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 100. 116-157 doi:10.1016/j.gca.2012.09.052
Prasad, M. Shyam, Rudraswami, N. G., Panda, Dipak K. (2013) Micrometeorite flux on Earth during the last ~50,000 years. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 118 (11) 2381-2399 doi:10.1002/2013je004460
van Ginneken, Matthias, Genge, Matthew J., Folco, Luigi, Harvey, Ralph P. (2016) The weathering of micrometeorites from the Transantarctic Mountains. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 179. 1-31 doi:10.1016/j.gca.2015.11.045
Genge, M.J., Larsen, J., Van Ginneken, M., Suttle, M.D. (2017) An urban collection of modern-day large micrometeorites: Evidence for variations in the extraterrestrial dust flux through the Quaternary. Geology, 45 (2) 119-122 doi:10.1130/g38352.1
Suttle, M. D., Genge, M. J., Russell, S. S. (2017) Shock fabrics in fine-grained micrometeorites. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 52 (10) 2258-2274 doi:10.1111/maps.12927
Genge, M.J., Larsen, J., Van Ginneken, M., Suttle, M.D. (2017) An urban collection of modern-day large micrometeorites: Evidence for variations in the extraterrestrial dust flux through the Quaternary. Geology, 45 (2) 119-122 doi:10.1130/g38352.1
Genge, Matthew J. (2017) The entry heating and abundances of basaltic micrometeorites. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 52 (5) 1000-1013 doi:10.1111/maps.12830
Cordier, Carole, Baecker, Bastian, Ott, Ulrich, Folco, Luigi, Trieloff, Mario (2018) A new type of oxidized and pre-irradiated micrometeorite. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 233. 135-158 doi:10.1016/j.gca.2018.04.010
Dobrica, E., Ogliore, R. C., Engrand, C., Nagashima, K., Brearley, A. J. (2018) Origins of Secondary Minerals in Micrometeorites. Microscopy and Microanalysis, 24. 2096-2097 doi:10.1017/s1431927618010966
Badyukov, D. D., Brandstaetter, F., Topa, D. (2018) Fine-Grained Scoriaceous and Unmelted Micrometeorites: Sources and Relationships with Cosmic Spherules. Geochemistry International, 56 (11) 1071-1083 doi:10.1134/s0016702918110022
Suttle, M. D., Genge, M. J., Folco, L., Van Ginneken, M., Lin, Q., Russell, S. S., Najorka, J. (2019) The atmospheric entry of fine-grained micrometeorites: The role of volatile gases in heating and fragmentation. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 54 (3) 503-520 doi:10.1111/maps.13220
Genge, Matthew J., Van Ginneken, Matthias, Suttle, Martin D. (2020) Micrometeorites: Insights into the flux, sources and atmospheric entry of extraterrestrial dust at Earth. Planetary and Space Science, 187. 104900pp. doi:10.1016/j.pss.2020.104900
Lopatka, Alex (2022) A lunar micrometeorite preserves the solar system’s early history. Physics Today, 75 (5) 16-18 doi:10.1063/pt.3.4996
van Ginneken, Matthias; Wozniakiewicz, Penelope J.; Brownlee, Donald E.; Debaille, Vinciane; Della Corte, Vincenzo; Delauche, Lucie; Duprat, Jean; Engrand, Cecile; Folco, Luigi; Fries, Marc; et al. (2024) Micrometeorite collections: a review and their current status. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 382 (2273). doi:10.1098/rsta.2023.0195
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