First reconstruction of Mesozoic meteorite flux published in Geology – no signs of a Baptistina asteroid breakup event

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We just published completed another of our first “windows” into the meteorite flux to Earth in deep time. We extracted and analyzed 108 extraterrestrial spinels from 1652 kg of pelagic limestone from  the Lower Cretaceous Maiolica Formation in the Apennines of Italy.  You find the paper here: 9-2017Schmitz-Geology

The crew that did the first pilot sampling in July 2014, Jan Smit, Walter Alvarez, and Birger, Laura and Nelly Schmitz, in front of the micrometeorite-rich bed MMA 36 of the Maiolica Formation. The pilot samples showed that the Maiolica limestone is perfect for our type of work, being extremely pure and very easy to dissolve.
The crew that did the first pilot sampling in July 2014, Jan Smit, Walter Alvarez, and Birger, Laura and Nelly Schmitz, in front of the micrometeorite-rich bed MMA 36 of the Maiolica Formation. The pilot samples showed that the Maiolica limestone is perfect for our type of work, being extremely pure and very easy to dissolve.
Karl Terfelt collects 300 kg of Maiolica limestone bed MMA 335.
Karl Terfelt collects 300 kg of Maiolica limestone bed MMA 335.