Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B
Online ISSN : 1349-2896
Print ISSN : 0386-2208
ISSN-L : 0386-2208
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Research Article
  • Tetsuji ONOUE, Kohei SETOYAMA, Honami SATO, Takuma SHIOHARA, Naoto TAK ...
    2026Volume 102Issue 5 Pages 167-178
    Published: May 11, 2026
    Released on J-STAGE: May 11, 2026
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    Supplementary material

    Interplanetary dust particles are highly enriched with 3He implanted by the solar wind, enabling the reconstruction of extraterrestrial dust fluxes to Earth from sedimentary 3He records. However, the fluxes of extraterrestrial dust during periods predating the Cretaceous remain poorly constrained. In this study, we present the first comprehensive reconstruction of extraterrestrial 3He fluxes for much of the Triassic period (approximately 246–212 Ma) based on pelagic-bedded cherts preserved in Jurassic accretionary complexes in Japan. We reconstructed extraterrestrial 3He fluxes after correcting for dilution by radiolarian-derived biogenic silica. The records reveal long-term flux enhancements during the Ladinian and late Carnian (Tuvalian) intervals, reaching amplitudes approximately 2–3 times the background level and persisting for ∼3–4 Myr. These features are inconsistent with short-lived influx events, such as comet showers or asteroid breakups, and are instead comparable to long-term background variations in the Cretaceous and Cenozoic records. A sharp 3He flux peak at ∼215–216 Ma is accompanied by elevated 3He/4He ratios, indicating a sudden influx of fine-grained extraterrestrial material. The timing of this excursion closely coincides with the Manicouagan impact event (215.4 Ma), suggesting a link between asteroid disruption and enhanced dust production during the Triassic.

    Extraterrestrial 3He flux variability during the Triassic. Fullsize Image
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