Asteroid impact enriches certain elements in seawater

Researchers found two processes immediately after the end-Cretaceous asteroid impact that likely supplied chalcophile elements to the ocean, i.e., impact heating and acid rain. The former produced iron oxides/hydroxides and released chalcophile elements from the struck rock. Iron oxides/hydroxides could have carried chalcophile elements to the seafloor. Acid rain could have supplied some chalcophile elements, especially copper and silver to the ocean, where they accumulated in organic matter.