This study covers cosmic spherules derived from the Mesoproterozoic Dahongyu Formation in the Ming Tombs area, Beijing. The cosmic spherules include iron oxide cosmic spherules, carbonaceous chondrites, and atomic iron "steely bead"-shaped cosmic spherules. The mineral assemblage of silicon carbide, forsterite, zircon, and glass spherules and fragments were picked from melt-silicified carbonate of the Mesoproterozoic Dahongyu Formation(ca. 1625 Ma). Cosmic spherule assemblages are solely discovered from sedimentary rocks in China. Platinum group elements(PGE) were determined for the first time in cosmic spherules and associated minerals. PGE comparative observation between meteorite and cosmic spherules is presented in this study. It is recognized that an extraterrestrial meteorite impact event might have occurred in the Dahongyu Stage. The main evidence is a large number of iron cosmic spherules in silicified oncolitic limestone, and associated cosmic silicon carbide, glass spherules, and fragments, as well as the presence of forsterite. The impact-volcanic crater is characteristic of a big black shale block dropped into the bended silicified limestone.
Numerous iron cosmic micro-spherules have been discovered from Mesoproterozoic strata including the Changzhougou Formation （1.8 Ga） and the Dahongyu Formation （1.6 Ga） of the Ming Tombs district, Beijing. There are 1 to 30 grains of cosmic spherules per 2 kg of a sandstone sample taken from the bottom of a coarse sandstone bed of the Changzhougou Formation and 56 grains per 3.69 kg of a rock sample from silicified carbonate rocks of the Dahongyu Formation. The surface textures of cosmic spherules analyzed by means of the secondary electron imagery are identical with those reported from references either domestic or abroad. So far the geo-ages of 1.8 Ga and 1.6 Ga of cosmic spherules from the Changzhougou and Dahongyu formations might be older than those reported in the world. Table 1 gives the electron probe analysis data of cosmic spherules for 30 spherule grains and 44 testing points as follows （%）： FeO, 80-95; Cr2O3; 0-9.56; NiO, 0-0.78; CoO, 0-0.46; indicating that the Cr2O3 content is higher and FeO content lower in the Changzhougou Formation than in the Dahongyu Formation. The helium isotopic data of cosmic spherules as well as their host rocks vary greatly between the Changzhougou and the Dahongyu formations as shown in Table 2. The data of cosmic spherules of the Changzhougou Formation vs the Dahongyu Formation are 57.5/1.23 in ^3He/^4He （10^-8）; and 55.54/809.60 in ^4He （10^-6cm^3STP/g）; those of coarse sandstone of the Changzhougou Formation vs silicified carbonate of the Dahongyu Formation are 3.39/2.59 in ^3He/^4He （10^-8） and 4.56/2.34 in ^3He （10^-6cm^3STP/g）. The ratio of analytic data of helium isotopes are different for cosmic spherules and their host rocks; for example, the ^3He/^4He （10^-8） values are 16.96 and 0.48, and the ^4He （10^-6 cm^3STP/g） are 12.18 and 345.98 for the Changzhougou and Dahongyu formations respectively. It was reported that the world＇s oldest micrometeorites had been found in the Meso-Proterozoic Satakunta Formation, Finland. Howeve
