Peculiar spherules from Antarctica and their origin
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.