The origin and formation of micrometeorites
From basic research to citizen science

Key areas

Micrometeorites as extraterrestrial material

Apart from large asteroid impacts, micrometeorites constitute the largest quantity of extraterrestrial material that continuously reaches Earth. Around 40,000 tonnes of extraterrestrial material enter the Earth’s atmosphere every year. Of this, around 1,600 tonnes reach the Earth’s surface as micrometeorites, whilst the majority presumably vaporises in the atmosphere.

Origin and formation of micrometeorites

Research into the origin and formation of micrometeorites was established in 2019 at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin. Samples from various archives are being examined, including those from Antarctica, from sediments and from urban surfaces.

In addition, laser experiments are being conducted to simulate melting processes upon atmospheric entry under controlled conditions. The aim is to clarify the origin of micrometeorites, associated cosmic events, and the role of atmospheric entry in the formation of different types of micrometeorites (Suttle et al. 2021; Van Maldeghem et al. 2023; Feige et al. 2024; Krämer Ruggiu et al. 2025). Initial results show that a single chondrite sample can yield a wide variety of spheroidal particles corresponding to known types of micrometeorites.

Urban micrometeorites and citizen science

The study of urban micrometeorites offers an approach for citizen science (Hecht et al. 2021; Suttle et al. 2021; Hasse 2025). In collaboration with the Education and Science Communication department, projects involving Berlin residents and partnerships with secondary schools have been carried out.

The results show that even short citizen science formats can significantly enhance understanding of scientific questions and geoscientific methods (Moormann et al., accepted).

Contact

Prof. Dr Lutz Hecht
PI
Email: Lutz.Hecht@mfn.berlin

Publications (selection)

Feige, J., Airo, A., Berger, D., Brückner, D., Gärtner, A., Genge, M., Leya, I., Habibi Marekani, F., Hecht, L., Klingner, N., Lachner, J., Li, X., Merchel, S., Nissen, J., Patzer, A. B. C., Peterson, S., Schropp, A., Sager, C., Suttle, M.D., Trappitsch, R. & Weinhold, J. (2024). Transport of dust across the Solar System: Constraints on the spatial origin of individual micrometeorites from cosmic-ray exposure. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 382: 20230197. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2023.0197.

Hasse, T. (2025): Urban micrometeorites: identification and differentiation. Amazone KDP, 218 pp., https://amzn.eu/d/0ejjdpp2.

Hecht, L., Milke, R., & Greshake, A. (2021). Urban micrometeorites: Citizen science in the geosciences. In ARGE GMIT (Ed.), Geowissenschaftliche Mitteilungen, – GMIT 84, (pp. 8–21). ARGE GMIT. https://doi.org/10.23689/fidgeo-4328

Krämer Ruggiu, L.; Villeneuve, J.; Da Silva, A. C.; Debaille, V.; Decrée, S.; Hecht, L.; Kaufmann, F.E.D.; & Goderis, S. (2025). Diversity among Fossil Micrometeorites in the Late Devonian. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 405, 114–31. https://doi:10.1016/j.gca.2025.07.016.

van Maldeghem, F., van Ginneken, M., Soens, B., Kaufmann, F., Lampe, S., Kramer, R. L., Hecht, L., Claeys, P. & Goderis, S. (2023). Geochemical Characterisation of Scoriaceous and Unmelted Micrometeorites from the Sør Rondane Mountains, East Antarctica: Links to Chondritic Parent Bodies and the Effects of Alteration. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 354: 88–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2023.06.002.

Moormann, A., Tilove, A., Dieter, D., Miedtank, A. and Hecht, L. (2026): Science Beyond School: Exploring Students’ Understanding of Science Through a Citizen Science Project on Micrometeorites. Education Sciences. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16020291

Suttle, M.D., Hasse, T. & Hecht, L. (2021): Evaluating urban micrometeorites as a research resource—A large population collected from a single rooftop. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13712.