Ordinary chondrite-related giant (>800 μm) cosmic spherules from the Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica

In order to identify the parent bodies of cosmic spherules (melted micrometeorites) with porphyritic olivine (PO) and cryptocrystalline (CC) textures, we measured the oxygen isotopic composition of 15 giant (>800 mu m) cosmic spherules recovered in the Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica, with IR-laser fluorination/mass spectrometry, and we conducted a characterization of their petrographic and magnetic properties. Samples include 6, 8 and 1 spherules of PO, CC and barred olivine (BO) textural types, respectively. Eleven spherules (similar to 70% of the total: 4/6 PO and 6/8 CC, and the BO spherule) are related to ordinary chondrites based on oxygen isotopic compositions. Olivines in ordinary chondrite-related spherules have compositions Fa(8.5-11.8), they are Ni-poor to Ni-rich (0.04-1.12 wt.%), and tend to be richer in CaO than other spherules (0.10-0.17 wt.%). Ordinary-chondrite related spherules also have high magnetite contents (similar to 2-12 wt.%). One PO and one CC spherules are related to previously identified O-17-enriched cosmic spherules for which the parent body is unknown. One CC spherule has an oxygen isotopic signature relating it to CM/CR carbonaceous chondrites. The majority of PO/CC cosmic spherules derive from ordinary chondrites; this result exemplifies how the texture of cosmic spherules is not only controlled by atmospheric entry heating conditions but also depends on the parent body, whether be it through orbital parameters (entry angle and velocity), or chemistry, mineralogy, or grain size of the precursor. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.