Abstract DGP2026-106

Micrometeorites (MMs) are extraterrestrial dust particles, approximately 10 µm to 2 mm in size, that reach Earth’s surface [1,2]. The total extraterrestrial mass influx into the atmosphere is cited at roughly 40,000 tonnes per year, and a fraction survives ablation and fragmentation [3]. For the Quaternary, the global annual flux of micrometeorites delivered to Earth’s surface has been estimated at approximately 1,600 tonnes per year [3]. This flux, exceeding the delivery of macroscopic meteorites by orders of magnitude, makes micrometeorites comparatively easy to obtain and thus an unusually accessible extraterrestrial material. MMs provide a geoscience-relevant entry point for introducing planetary processes while training scientific practice using authentic samples.

A modular micrometeorite toolkit is presented to support early engagement in planetary science and research-based learning across upper-secondary courses, school–museum collaborations, outreach formats, and undergraduate student projects. The toolkit includes a concise introduction to the formation of terrestrial bodies in the Solar System and to likely micrometeorite source regions, as well as key processes affecting particles during atmospheric entry. Sampling strategies and laboratory workflows for material enrichment are covered. Participants are trained to identify and classify micrometeorite candidates and to handle limited, high-value samples. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) are introduced for targeted verification and compositional characterization, including basic data evaluation. Methodological limitations and constraints on provenance interpretation are discussed.

The school–museum component was piloted with two cohorts of 10th-grade students enrolled in an elective STEM course comprising five 90-minute teaching units, conducted in cooperation with the Museum für Naturkunde. Classroom phases were combined with museum-based laboratory sessions in which MM candidates were identified and analysed under authentic constraints. Remote operation of the SEM from the classroom was implemented, enabling students to conduct measurements themselves under guidance. Qualitative interviews with participating students and their teacher indicated increased insight into scientific work as a process, strengthened attention to interpretive limits, and perceived benefits from self-directed, hands-on learning and access to research infrastructure [4].

Building on these findings, an extended school-based seminar format is being developed for implementation over an entire school year, aiming to scale the workflow, deepen methodological training, and enable student-led research questions within a structured curricular setting. Transferability was explored through small-scale workshops for interested school teachers and through university workshops with geology students in Chile and Morocco. Feasible undergraduate project formats with scientifically usable outputs are outlined. Overall, micrometeorites are positioned as an educational and research-based learning toolkit that links planetary science content with scientific practice and can be implemented across institutions. Comparable scientific datasets can be generated for research, while students gain opportunities to develop and apply research skills.

References: [1] Genge M. J. et al. (2008) Meteoritics & Planetary Science 43:497–515. [2] Folco L. and Cordier C. (2015) EMU Notes in Mineralogy 15:253–297. [3] Taylor, S., Lever, J.H. & Harvey, R.P. (1998) Nature, 392: 899–903. [4] Moormann, A., Tilove, A., Dieter, D., Miedtank, A., & Hecht, L. (2025) (Manuscript in revision at Education Sciences).