RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES VOL. 10, ES6004, doi:10.2205/2008ES000306, 2008

Native iron in Miocene sediments

D. K. Nurgaliev
Geological Faculty, Kazan State University, Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia

V. M. Trubikhin
Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

Abstract

[1]  With the aid of thermomagnetic analysis up to 800^o C we studied the detailed pattern of how native iron is distributed in Miocene sediments of two sections, Khalats (Turkmenia) and Kvirinaki (Georgia), which are more than 1500 km apart. Out main result is that enrichment by native iron particles was synchronous in both sections. This phenomenon is of extraterrestrial origin and does not depend upon local conditions of deposition. The length of iron-enriched interval (from 12.6 to 12.2 Ma) over a vast area cannot result from a single impact event.

Received 19 July 2008; accepted 22 August 2008; published 14 September 2008.

Keywords: cosmic metallic iron, sediments, themomagnetic analysis, Curie point.

Index Terms: 1029 Geochemistry: Composition of aerosols and dust particles; 1512 Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism: Environmental magnetism; 1594 Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism: Instruments and techniques; 2129 Interplanetary Physics: Interplanetary dust.

Citation: Pechersky, D. M., D. K. Nurgaliev, and V. M. Trubikhin (2008), Native iron in Miocene sediments, Russ. J. Earth Sci., 10, ES6004, doi:10.2205/2008ES000306.