Attribution of recovered spherules to IM1

Establish whether any of the spherules recovered during the June 14–28, 2023 magnetic-sled survey north of Manus Island are directly attributable to the CNEOS 2014-01-08 (IM1) bolide, by determining if diagnostic evidence links these spherules to IM1’s atmospheric entry and ablation products.

Background

The expedition surveyed approximately 0.06 km² along the government-localized path of the CNEOS 2014-01-08 (IM1) fireball and retrieved ~850 spherules. Although extensive elemental analyses and classifications were carried out, the authors emphasize that provenance is not yet demonstrated. This uncertainty affects interpretation of the spherules’ origins and their relationship to IM1’s airburst and ablation processes.

Determining whether any recovered spherules are indeed IM1 debris is central to validating connections between measured composition (including the novel BeLaU subset) and a specific meteoritic event, as well as to understanding the material strength, fragmentation, and ablation behavior inferred for IM1.