Open AccessCretaceous-Tertiary boundary spherules from Denmark, New Zealand and Spain
Author(s) -
Helle Ploug Hansen,
Raymond Gwozdz,
Richard G. Bromley,
Kaare Lund Rasmussen,
Ebbe W Vogensen,
Karsten Pedersen
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
bulletin of the geological society of denmark
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.674
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 2245-7070
pISSN - 0011-6297
DOI - 10.37570/bgsd-1986-35-09
Subject(s) - geology , cretaceous , goethite , diagenesis , dissolution , geochemistry , paleontology , chemistry , organic chemistry , adsorption
Spherules from the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary layers in Denmark, New Zealand and Spain have been studied with respect to their content of organic material. After dissolution in HC! and HF, organic spheres were found, According to their morphology and structure they belong to the green algal group Prasi- nophyta. The mineralogical composition of the spherules is dominated by goethite in the Danish and New Zealand examples while those from Spain show a combination of sanidine and goethite. It is concluded that the spherules are the result of diagenetic infill of prasinophyte algae and are unrelated to bolide condensates, micrometeorites, impact glass, and glassy droplets from volcanism on the moon,