Extraterrestrial matter and atmospheric aerosols

In situ measurements of the composition of stratospheric aerosols detected Fe, Mg, Na, K, Ca, Ni, and other meteoritic material in a large number of particles. These particles include ablated meteoric material that has recondensed, descended from the upper atmosphere, and combined with the sulfate in the stratosphere. Along with laboratory calibrations and a knowledge of the stratospheric sulfur budget, these measurements allow estimates of the flux of extraterrestrial material reaching the present-day earth. The stratospheric particles are depleted in the more refractory elements, suggesting that some of the incoming material is not ablated. Consideration of the much larger flux of meteors in the earth's early history suggests that ablated meteoric material could have altered the properties of the early atmosphere in ways that might be relevant to the origin of life.