Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) - or NOAA Research - provides the research foundation for understanding the complex systems that support our planet.
NOAA scientists investigating the stratosphere have found that in addition to meteoric ‘space dust,’ the atmosphere more than seven miles above the surface is peppered with particles containing a variety of metals from satellites and spent rocket boosters vaporized by the intense heat of re-entry.
“Two of the most surprising elements we saw in these particles were niobium and hafnium,” said Chemical Sciences Laboratory research chemist, Purdue and the University of Leeds. “These are both rare elements that are not expected in the stratosphere. It was a mystery as to where these metals are coming from and how they’re ending up there.”
Niobium and hafnium do not occur as free elements in nature, but are refined from mineral ores. They are used in semiconductors and superalloys. All in all, scientists identified over 20 distinct elements from spacecraft and satellite reentry in particles sampled during SABRE, including, silver, iron, lead, magnesium, titanium, beryllium, chromium, nickel, zinc and lithium. short for Particle Analysis by Laser Spectrometry, which ingests and chemically analyzes individual particles in the air one by one as the aircraft is in flight.
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