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RE: Tektite textures
Bob and Company:
Tektites are a natural glass and they show evidence of both chemical
corrosion (from basic soil chemicals, etc.) and atmospheric ablation
(just like meteorites) and to argue one idea exclusive of the other
would be incorrect according to most tektite experts. Tektites are
composed chiefly of SiO2 (around 85%) and are resistant to corrosive
alkali chemicals as well heat--but not immune. The idea of burying
atomic waste in specially manufactured synthetic glass is based entirely
on the durability of tektite chemistry--they're tough little stones that
last a long time!
Also, because tektites are extremely dry (hardly any H2O) and are nearly
bubble free, the surface markings could not have been formed by that
process. Now ask any ceramic scientist about how to make a tektite and
she'll tell you that it took many long hours to "fine" it, i.e., to make
a perfect natural glass (a process called "fining" by glass scientists).
What is so frustrating to many geochemists (and delightful to those of
us who have been talking about an extraterrestrial origin for years) is
that Mother Nature has found a way to confound these experts who have
explained every unusual event in terms impacts; yes, not even a
massively energetic impact shock could produce a bonafide tektite unless
we suspended the laws of glass physics. [For comparison of a tektite to
an impact glass or an atomic bomb glass (trinitite/atomsite), realize
that most of the impactites are "imperfect" glasses full of bubbles,
inclusions of native rock material, etc. Of course, some so-called
"impactites" are argued to be tektites like Auolleoul, Darwin and Libyan
Desert glasses.] Muong Nong-type tektites seem to be closer to a parent
body for tektites then anything else--and according to independent
tektite researcher Darryl Futrell--these layered stones seem to closely
resemble some pyroclastic glasses erupted from explosive (acidic)
volcanic domes in California.
It is also a fact that tektites have been melted at least once and
even--in the case of the australasian tektites--twice. NASA scientist
Dean Chapman (deceased) did extensive wind tunnel tests with synthetic
tektites at the Ames Research Center in the 1960s and '70s and strongly
demonstrated--with combined computer simulations--that the stones
entered the Earth's atmosphere at low angles and could not have been
"splashed" up from the earth by impacts; Chapman also was able to
demonstrate that the entry angle could be traced back to the Moon--this
experiment was repeated and Chapman has yet to be proved incorrect!
Now for many scientists today, the idea that tektites are
extraterrestrial (i.e., in this case, most likely lunar in origin) is
ridiculous--one unidentified lunar geologist (AKA selenologist) called
the lunar origin of tektites "grade-school science." (Hey, now there's
an open, scientific mind for you!) Yet for other scientists--like
award-winning astronomer John O' Keefe (NASA retired); geophysicist and
lunar expert Paul Lowman currently at NASA Goddard; lunar astronomer
Winifred Cameron; Billy Evans, materials chemist at the University of
Michigan; David Pye, ceramic scientist at Alfred University/N.Y. College
of Ceramic Science; lunar scientist Donald Gault, et al--the idea that
tektites are terrestrial impactites is an equally ridiculous idea. The
evidence that a tiny tektite glass fragment was discovered in Apollo 12
lunar sample 12013 remains unchallenged although two lame attempts (in
my opinion) to "explain away" this Apollo 12 data were made in the
1970s--but both of these scientists have either retired or have gone on
to that Big Impact Crater in the Sky. So, tektites are a long,
complicated and controversial story--but it is clear that the surface of
tektites have been reworked by both entry through the Earth's atmosphere
and by ground corrosion. This is one person's understanding of the
tektite problem.
-- Lou
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bob King [SMTP:lakewind@duluth.infi.net]
> Sent: Thursday, August 06, 1998 12:05 PM
> To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com
> Subject: Tektite textures
>
> I have several Indochinites and Chinese tektites and have always
> wondered
> what the cause is of their fascinating texture, ie. the small circular
> pits and the
> numerous wormlike tracks. Are they from erosion or do they represent
> some
> kind of outgassing? I've also seen them in photographs of other kinds
> of
> tektites. In my limited sources on tektite information I have yet to
> find a good
> explanation. Any information from folks on this list would be
> appreciated.
> Thanks so much.
>
> Bob King
>
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