Major and trace element abundance in sediment samples from ODP Hole 121-758B (Table 1)@en

Major and trace element analyses of 30 sediment samples from ODP Core 758B across the Brunhes-Matuyama geomagnetic polarity reversal and the Australasian microtektite-bearing layer show a small but significant anomaly in the elemental abundances of Ir, Co and Ni. The maximum of the anomaly between 10.89 and 11.00 m below seafloor correlates with the maximum abundance of microtektites. Iridium abundances, which show the most significant anomaly, reach 0.16 ppb, which is evidence for an extraterrestrial component.