Peculiar spherules from Antarctica and their origin

• Main Authors: Tazawa, Y., Fujii, Y.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 1984
• Subjects: 91; East Antarctica; Mizuho; Mizuho Station; Antarc*; Antarctica; ice core
• Online Access: http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19850007303

Two calcium titanium oxide spherules (CTS) and an iron chromium nickel oxide one (FCN) were obtained from a segment of ice core collected at Mizuho Station, East Antarctica. An anomalous REE abundance pattern enriched in Sm by a factor of about 10 relative to the typical pattern of terrestrial perovskites was found. Subsequently, more than forty spherules from ten other depth ranges of the ice core were analyzed: (1) both CTS and FCN occur in every depth range; (2) CTS, FCN, and other are in the ratio of about 2:21 among all the analyzed spherules; (3) all of CTS show the same chemical and mineralogical characteristics as those previously obtained; (4) CTS contains some amounts of Cr and Fe, and/or FCN contains Ca and Ti; and (5) two composite particles exist among all the spherules. It is implied that CTS and FCN had originated in a common natural material and from a common natural process.