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[1] Flux of micrometeorites is estimated by using cosmic spherule counts from a seafloor area of 2.50 m 2 from the Indian Ocean. The spherules are recovered from sediment samples in close-spaced locations from the Indian Ocean after sieving 293 kg of sediment. The terrestrial age of the spherules has a range of 0-~50,000 years. The spherules have a size range of 57-750 μm (average size 265 ± 92 μm). The diameter of the spherules increases from scoriaceous-barred-cryptocrystalline-glassy types. The time-averaged flux of the spherules is 160 t/yr, a sizeable mass (>60%) resides in the >300 μm fraction; the slope of distribution is similar to that of Deep-Sea Spherules but significantly different from other collections which have lower average diameters. It is observed here, a significant population of cosmic dust resides in the larger sizes which can be recovered by sampling large areas in time and space. The spherule textures are similar to that of unbiased collections from the polar regions, indicating that the textural types of cosmic dust that have been raining on the Earth during the last 50 kyr have been constant regardless of size. Major element chemistry of a majority of the spherules show elemental ratios that are close to a CM or CI chondritic parent body; a single spherule (0.2% of the population) suggests an achondritic parent body. Unbiased collections spanning large areas temporally and spatially enlarge the inventory of the Earth-crossing meteoroid complex and provide valuable inputs for models on cosmic dust accretion.

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We evaluate the heating of extraterrestrial particles entering the atmosphere using the comprehensive chemical ablation model (CABMOD). This model predicts the ablation rates of individual elements in a particle with a defined size, composition, entry velocity, and entry angle with respect to the zenith (ZA). In the present study, bulk chemical analyses of 1133 Antarctica micrometeorites (collected from the south pole water well) are interpreted using CABMOD. The marked spread in Fe/Si values in unmelted, partially melted, and melted micrometeorites is explained by the loss of relatively volatile Fe during atmospheric entry. The combined theoretical modeling and elemental composition of the micrometeorites (Mg/Si ratios) suggest that ∼85% of particles have a provenance of carbonaceous chondrites, the remaining ∼15% are either ordinary or enstatite chondrites. About 65% of the micrometeorites have undergone <20% ablation, while a further 20% have lost between 20% and 60% of their original mass. This has implications for understanding the micrometeorite flux that reaches the Earthʼs surface, as well as estimating the pre-atmospheric size of the particles. Our work shows that the unmelted particles thatcontribute ∼50% to the total micrometeorite collection on Earthʼs surface have a small entry zone: ZA = 60°-90°if the entry velocity is ∼11 km s −1 , and ZA = 80°-90°for >11-21 km s −1 .