GEOLOGICAL FULLERENES: REVIEW AND ANALYSIS

Abstract

Fullerenes have been reported from numerous terrestrial and meteoritic sources, but only at low concentrations. The occurrences are associated with localized energetic events such as lightning, impacts of extraterrestrial objects, and wildfires. Great interest has also been generated by a series of papers that report noble gases with anomalous isotopic compositions encapsulated within fullerenes. In spite of all of the published work, many unresolved questions remain about the identity and formation of fullerenes in geological environments.