Meteorite Impact Spherule Bed Barberton [1727] NEW!

The Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa represents one of the most diverse and oldest geological records for Archean Earth. Although it has the oldest terrestrial microbial mats and the oldest sedimentary rock in Africa, it also has about 17 spherule intersection layers caused by Archean impacts, some 3.2 - 3.4 Ga.

Lowe and Byerley identified the first impact spherule bed material about 25 years ago. This spherule bed material is from impact spherule bed two. It represents one of the oldest lines of evidence for colossal impacts in the Archean oceans, which occupied the Barberton region about 3.4 Ga.

No known craters have yet to be discovered from the Archean (4-2.5 bya), even though scientists suspect there were plenty when comparing it to the Moon's impact record. The oldest impact structure on Earth is the Yarrabubba impact structure in Western Australia, which is about 2.2 bya.

Spherule beds consist of small impact glass spherules in a mixed matrix of rock fragments.  Values for meteoritic components found in spherule beds indicate that, most likely, a series of chondritic meteorite impacts caused these various spherule layers. So far, only the Barberton Greenstone Belt, Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa, and the Pilbara Block in western Australia have records of impact spherule beds from the Archean.

These spherule beds contain glassy and crystalline particles that experienced varying degrees of mixing back into the sedimentary rock as they fell back to Earth after the initial impact. Earth processes in the form of wave action, some tsunami in nature, along with aquatic current abrasion, whipped some but not all of these beds into the conditions they are in today. Their origin and chemical analysis have proved they came from melt ejecta from impact-related rock vapor clouds. However, none of the spherule layers has been linked to specific craters.

Spherule bed two (S2), where this material is from, contains evidence of an impact in chert dikes with a mix of seafloor materials and barite. In addition, this material includes significant iridium anomalies and extraterrestrial chromium components, like most other beds. The S2 material is from the Fig Tree Group, Mapepe Formation.

The spherule beds discovered in the Barberton Greenstone Belt contain an essential history of the meteoritic bombardment of our planet. However, they may represent only a small proportion of impacts that occurred during Archean times and have since disappeared without a trace. 

Size of spherule bed material: 48mm L X 35mm W X 27mm D, Weight: 74.1 grams. Ships with a Certificate of Authenticity, information about the specimen, and in situ photos! A copy of relevant scientific articles included. Display base and photo cube not included.

This material was legally collected and obtained in a materials trade with a scientific institution.

Add this incredible specimen to your diverse meteorite collection today and own ultra-rare material that contains evidence of impacts from the Archean!