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Re: Unique Tektite


-----Original Message-----
From: Jason Phillips <jnbran@net66.com>
To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com
<meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tuesday, November 30, 1999 6:28 PM
Subject: Unique Tektite


Splashform tektites containing a large bubble aren't  terribly rare.  The
largest bubbles have turned up in  Philippine splashforms in the large
spheres.  I've got fragments of broken hollow spheres that indicate the
original bubbles approached about ten cm in diameter.  Once I ran specific
gravities on about 20 large philippinites and found two that contained large
bubbles (with S. G. of around 2.00).  I've also seen a few freshly
broken-open indochinites with large bubbles inside, and one finds weathered
fragments of originally hollow tektites at most any tektite site.
Presently, I know one scientist (Dr. Matsuda) who would like to analyse for
certain gases in large tektite bubbles (namely neon).  If you would like to
know why, take a look at:
J. A. O'Keefe and C. C. Schnetzler, Neon in tektites: implications
concerning the age of australasian tektites. 1997 Baltimore AGU Spring
Meeting (abstract).
I hoped to tell you exactly what the excitement about the neon is, but I
don't find the abstract where it should be, and don't remember well enough
exactly what was said (it's a bit more involved than what the title
indicates).

Dr. Matsuda's address:
Dr. Jun-ichi Matsuda, Dept. of Earth and Space Science, Faculty of Science,
Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560, Japan

Having an intact large bubble doesn't greatly increase the value of a
tektite, as there are many out there (if one has the patience and equipment
to look for them).   Institutions generally like specimens to be donated for
research.  I hinted in a letter to him about being willing to donate a large
"hollow" sphere of nearly 900 grams for this neon search, but Dr. Matsuda
refused.  He refused to destroy such a large unusual specimen, when much
smaller "hollow" specimens would do as well.  This was a few years back.


>Hello List,
>I was reading my new issue of Bethany Sciences Universe Collection
>meteorite catalogue (this is not a plug for the company) and came upon
>something I found interesting but did not really understand what it
>was.  It is a Chinese Tektite with a large void in the center in the
>shape of an egg, which was found during a CAT scan.  It is stated that
>this "void inside this tektite may hold answers beyond compare, trapping
>untold secrets and history form its creation".  What I am wanting to
>know is what is this void in the center of the tektite?
>
>Thanks for your help,
>Jason Phillips
>
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