Tektite
A rock classification type
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About Tektite
Gravel-sized to microscopic, glassy, impact melt rocks formed from a meteorite impact melting the local rock and blasting it into the atmosphere. They can be dispersed over many thousands of square kilometers. Depending on the nature of the local rock, 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). For Australian and Asian tektites (indochinite, philippinite, chinite, australite, zhamanshinite, irghizite, and others), the origin has been inferred to be in Indochina.
Easily confused with obsidian and man-made dark slag.
Visit gemdat.org for gemological information about Tektite.
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). For Australian and Asian tektites (indochinite, philippinite, chinite, australite, zhamanshinite, irghizite, and others), the origin has been inferred to be in Indochina.
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
Similar Names
| Tactite | A rock subtype |
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. Tektites from the latter have been found in Southern China, Indochina, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia. Compare also indochinite, philippinite, chinite. Australites are dark, mostly... |
| 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. See also philippinite |
| 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. |
| 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. Compare also australite. 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... |
| Moldavite | A green natural glass originating from the impact of a meteorite in Bavaria 15 million years ago (present Ries crater, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%B6rdlinger_Ries#Ries_impact_crater). And: https://www.mindat.org/loc-68071.html The impact glass w... |
| Philippinite | A variety of tektite from the Philippines. |
| Uruguaite | Black tektites from a new strewn field discovered in 2016 (Ferrière et al., 2017). |
Common Associates
Associations 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:
Gentner, W.; Storzer, D.; Wagner, G. A. (1969) Das Alter von Tektiten und verwandten Gläsern. Die Naturwissenschaften, 56 (5). 255-261 doi:10.1007/bf00633919
Koeberl, Christian (1990) The geochemistry of tektites: an overview. Tectonophysics, 171 (1) 405-422 doi:10.1016/0040-1951(90)90113-m
Glass, B.P. (1990) Tektites and microtektites: key facts and inferences. Tectonophysics, 171 (1) 393-404 doi:10.1016/0040-1951(90)90112-l
Koeberl, Christian (1992) Tektite origin by hypervelocity asteroidal or cometary impact: Target rocks, source craters, and mechanisms. In Geological Society of America Special Papers. Geological Society of America. p.133-152. doi:10.1130/spe293-p133
O'Keefe, John A. (1994) Origin of tektites. Meteoritics, 29 (1) 73-78 doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1994.tb00655.x
Rossano, S., Balan, E., Morin, G., Bauer, J.-P., Calas, G., Brouder, C. (1999) 57 Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy of tektites. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, 26 (6) 530-538 doi:10.1007/s002690050216
Chlum nad Malší sandpit, Chlum nad Malší, Svatý Jan nad Malší, České Budějovice District, South Bohemian Region, Czech Republic