Extraterrestrial spherules in glacial sediment from the Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica - Structure, mineralogy, and chemical composition

The morphological, mineralogical, and chemical characteristics of silicate and glassy spherules from a number of new localities in the Transantarctic Mountains were determined. The results indicate that these Antarctic spherules are of extraterrestrial origin. It is concluded that they, most likely, represent individual micrometeorites that melted during passage through the atmosphere; alternatively, they may be ablation spherules.