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Ordovician meteor event

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Ordovician meteor event

The Ordovician meteor event was a dramatic increase in the rate at which L chondrite meteorites fell to Earth during the Middle Ordovician period, 467.3 ± 1.6 million years ago. This is indicated by the comparatively tight age clustering of L chondrite grains in sediments in southern Sweden, and an excess of fossil L chondrite meteorites in a quarry in Sweden that represents meteorite falls arriving at a much higher rate than is typical on Earth. This temporary increase in the impact rate was most likely caused by the destruction of the L-chondrite parent body 470 ± 6 million years ago having scattered fragments into Earth-crossing orbits, a chronology which is supported by shock ages in numerous L-chondrite meteorites that continue to fall to Earth today. It is hypothesized that this influx was associated with, or possibly caused, the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event.

References

Ordovician meteor event Wikipedia