Overview
I am investigating fossil micrometeorites found in Cretaceous Chalk to assess their preservation in the geological record. The concentration of micrometeorites discovered in the section will be used to interpret ancient extra-terrestrial dust flux, which can give us a better understanding of past solar system events such as large-scale asteroid collisions.
Masters project:
- Metal Bead Separation in Cosmic Spherules During Atmospheric Deceleration
- Involved the petrographic analyses of Larkman Nunatak cosmic spherules, and numerical simulations of their atmospheric deceleration.
RHUL, ARIES Research Experience Placement Student
- Collected and analysed micrometeorites and microplastics from urban rooftops to map organic contamination in samples.
- Wrote a scientific report on distinguishing between terrestrial organic pollutants and indigenous organics in micrometeorites, and a comprehensive guide for collecting and examining micrometeorite petrology and geochemistry using an optical microscope and SEM.
NHM, Meteorite Curator Intern
- Completed a report/guide on meteorite identification.
- Operated an SEM and EPMA to investigate six rock specimens for extra-terrestrial origin.
Publications
The Effect of Early Diagenetic Processes on the Quantification Of Fossil Micrometeorite Flux in the Geological Record
IS Mattia, MD Suttle, MJ Genge
86th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical-Society (MetSoc) 58 (1), A192-A192
Metal Bead Separation in S-Type Cosmic Spherules During Atmospheric Entry: Implications on the Origin of Life
IS Mattia, MJ Genge
LPI Contributions 2678, 1176
https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2022/pdf/1176.pdf
https://lpsc2022.ipostersessions.com/default.aspx?s=C3-5A-31-F8-28-CC-54-65-AC-24-9D-74-68-C7-D3-52&guestview=true