Platinum group element in the impact melt from the Bosumtwi crater, Ghana

Abstract In an attempt to identify the type of projectile, 14 samples from the Bosumtwi crater in Ghana were analyzed for platinum group element (PGE) concentrations by nickel sulfide fire assay inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). The majority of the samples come from the impactite material recovered by cores LB07A and LB08A, which were drilled by the International Continental Scientific Drilling program (ICDP). One sample originates from the fallback material found at the contact between the impactite and the overlying lake sediment in core LB05B. No clear signature of a meteoritic contamination was identified in the 13 impactite samples. The target rock apparently dominates the PGE contribution in the impactites. These results agree with the PGE concentrations reported for the suevites collected at the crater rim and in other parts of the Bosumtwi ICDP cores. However, based on Cr and Os isotopic signatures, a meteoritic component could be present in the sample of fallback material, supporting the reports of the existence of meteoritic material in the Ivory Coast tektites. Further analyses of the fallback material from the Bosumtwi drill cores should confirm (or not) this first result.