Tektite
A rock classification type
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About Tektite
Gravel-sized glassy bodies of natural glass formed from terrestrial debris ejected during large impacts.
A natural glass formed from a meteorite impact melting the local rock. Depending on the nature of the latter, the composition of tektites is variable. Hence, many varietal names are given to tektites from different localities.
The meteoritic source was determined for three fields of scattered tektites (bediasite and georgiaite in North America, moldavite in Central Europe, and ivorite in West Africa). Though, for Australian and Asian tektites (indochinite, philippinite, australite, zhamanshinite, irghizite, and others), the occurrence in meteoritic craters has only been inferred.
Easily confused with obsidian and man-made dark slag.
Visit gemdat.org for gemological information about Tektite.
A natural glass formed from a meteorite impact melting the local rock. Depending on the nature of the latter, the composition of tektites is variable. Hence, many varietal names are given to tektites from different localities.
The meteoritic source was determined for three fields of scattered tektites (bediasite and georgiaite in North America, moldavite in Central Europe, and ivorite in West Africa). Though, for Australian and Asian tektites (indochinite, philippinite, australite, zhamanshinite, irghizite, and others), the occurrence in meteoritic craters has only been inferred.
Easily confused with obsidian and man-made dark slag.
Visit gemdat.org for gemological information about Tektite.Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
10859
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:10859:3
GUID
(UUID V4):
(UUID V4):
9e58afc0-141c-403c-93e5-0a64320851c8
Classification of Tektite
Sub-divisions of Tektite
Mineralogy of Tektite
Essential minerals - these are minerals that are required within the classification of this rock:
| Glass | A non-crystalline, amorphous, relatively homogeneous solid material with a random liquid-like structure generally ... |
First Recorded Occurrence of Tektite
Other Language Names for Tektite
Varieties of Tektite
| Australite | A tektite variety from the Australasian strewnfield. Dark, mostly black. The crater of this strewnfield has not be located, but is assumed to lie in Southeast Asia. |
| Bediasite | A black tektite variety from North American strewnfield (Chesapeake Bay impact crater), found in Texas, USA. |
| Bikolite | A name given to tektites from the Bikol area of the Philippines. |
| Billitonite | A tektite material found on Billiton Island, between Sumatra and Borneo. Compare indochinite. |
| Chinite | A black tektite variety from the Australasian strewnfield. Found in China, hence the name. |
| Darwin Glass | From Tasmania, Australia. |
| Georgiaite | A green tektite variety from North American strewnfield (Chesapeake Bay impact crater), found in Georgia, USA. |
| Indochinite | A tektite variety found predominantly in South-East Asia and Australia but also possibly in Canada. The crater of this strewn field is possibly in Southern Laos. |
| Irghizite | Tektite (only?) from the Zhamanshin meteor crater in Kazakhstan (latitude: 48° 24' North, longitude: 60° 58' East). |
| Ivorite | A black tektite variety from the Ivory Coast strewnfield (Lake Bosumtwi Crater, Ghana). Found in the Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). NOTE: Some tectites from the large Australasian field are fraudulently sold in Ivory Coast as being Ivory Coast tektites (t... |
| Philippinite | A variety of tektite from the Philippines. |
| Uruguaite | Black tektites from a new strewn field discovered in 2016 (Ferrière et al., 2017). |
| Zhamanshinite | Tektites from the Zhamanshin meteor crater. |
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
| 4 photos of Tektite associated with Moldavite | |
| 1 photo of Tektite associated with Libyan Desert Glass | |
| 1 photo of Tektite associated with Cristobalite | SiO2 |
Internet Links for Tektite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-10859.html
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References for Tektite
Reference List:
Chlum nad MalÅ¡Ã sandpit, Chlum nad MalÅ¡Ã, Svatý Jan nad MalÅ¡Ã, ÄŒeské BudÄ›jovice District, South Bohemian Region, Czech Republic