# The markers form only at the temperatures and pressures of impacts and airbursts, and they peak at the…

> Disputed: The markers form only at the temperatures and pressures of impacts and airbursts, and they peak at the boundary.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/younger-dryas-impact/answers/ANS0D51XFD40S6P/the-markers-form-only-at-the-temperatures-and-pressures-of  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
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[Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[Younger Dryas impact hypothesis](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/younger-dryas-impact)[Are the proposed markers (microspherules, nanodiamonds, shocked quartz, meltglass) reproducible and diagnostic of impact?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/younger-dryas-impact/questions/QST0D51X8T620G9/are-the-proposed-markers-microspherules-nanodiamonds-shocked)Answer

Answer · Younger Dryas impact hypothesis

# The markers form only at the temperatures and pressures of impacts and airbursts, and they peak at the…

The markers form only at the temperatures and pressures of impacts and airbursts, and they peak at the boundary.

**Disputed** Answers **1** questionPublished0

## Where it stands

**Disputed** Two pieces of evidence for, two against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- Spherule chemistry and textures require melting above about 2,200 °C.
- Nanodiamond polymorphs and shock lamellae in quartz are found at the boundary and not elsewhere in the section.

## What would rule it out

- The same markers found at comparable abundance at non-boundary levels, or shown to form by terrestrial processes.

## Evidence 2 for · 2 against

[About 700 SEM-EDS analyses of spherules from 18 sites are said to be inconsistent with volcanic, cosmic…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/younger-dryas-impact/evidence/EVD0D51XFMY6725/about-700-sem-eds-analyses-of-spherules-from-18-sites-are)

Suggestive

FOR

[Nanodiamonds were reported at 10 to 3,700 ppb in the boundary layer and not above or below.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/younger-dryas-impact/evidence/EVD0D51XFWR4AH1/nanodiamonds-were-reported-at-10-to-3-700-ppb-in-the)

Suggestive

FOR

[Material presented as cosmic spherule fragments in the Baffin Bay paper was identified as foraminifera.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/younger-dryas-impact/evidence/EVD0D51XGCC79S8/material-presented-as-cosmic-spherule-fragments-in-the)

Supported

AGAINST

[No standard criteria exist for identifying magnetic spherules, and the blind test found them in a…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/younger-dryas-impact/evidence/EVD0D51XG4J3J7A/no-standard-criteria-exist-for-identifying-magnetic)

Supported

AGAINST

## The questions it answers

[Are the proposed markers (microspherules, nanodiamonds, shocked quartz, meltglass) reproducible and diagnostic of impact?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/younger-dryas-impact/questions/QST0D51X8T620G9/are-the-proposed-markers-microspherules-nanodiamonds-shocked)

Part of [Did an extraterrestrial impact or airburst occur at the onset of the Younger Dryas, about 12,800 years ago?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/younger-dryas-impact/questions/QST0D51X8AJ1304/did-an-extraterrestrial-impact-or-airburst-occur-at-the)

Most likelyThe markers are background cosmic dust, volcanic or anthropogenic spherules, fire products or misidentified…

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). The markers form only at the temperatures and pressures of impacts and airbursts, and they peak at the… [Answer ANS0D51XFD40S6P]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0D51XFD40S6P
```

Key

**ANS** 0D51XFD40S6P

Kind

Answer · hypothesis

Origin

Published

Version

1

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