Based on the Australian news streams, some natural glass found in Australia may be proof of an unknown ancient asteroid impact, according to recent research, and the study of these impact-created “tektites” suggests a powerful collision happened millions of years ago, scattering debris across southern Australia. Despite this important finding, scientists have not yet located the impact crater.
Fred Jourdan, a geochemist at Curtin University and co-author of the study, stated that “these glasses are unique to Australia and have recorded an ancient impact event we did not even know about.” Tektites are natural glasses formed by meteorite hits on Earth, where intense heat and pressure melt surface rock, scattering the molten material in all directions. Most known tektites come from one of five major splash zones, including a large field that spread debris across Australia and Southeast Asia about 800,000 years ago.
In 1969, a study of tektites from this Australasian field showed that while most had similar compositions, a few seemed older and chemically distinct. A follow-up study in 1999 estimated these unusual tektites to be several million years old, but their exact age and origin remained unclear, leaving researchers to wonder if they came from a different major impact event.
A new study, published on August 29 in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, revisited this question. Scientists carefully measured the densities and magnetic properties of several thousand tektites from the South Australian Museum. From this large sample, they found 417 unusual specimens. These were then sent to France for further analysis, where researchers identified six tektites with the same chemical makeup as the unusual samples from previous studies.
It should be mentioned further that the team’s analysis indicated that these six tektites were significantly different in age and composition from most other tektites in the area. Moreover, their unique traits suggested they were not created by the same impact that formed the Australasian tektite field. Instead of that, the evidence points to an unknown impact that occurred nearly 11 million years ago. Jourdan compared these specimens to “little time capsules from deep in our planet’s history,” each containing clues to a past geological event.
The researchers named the newly identified tektites “ananguites”. This name honours the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara peoples, who call themselves Anangu, meaning “human being,” and whose traditional lands are where some of the tektites were found.
The location of the impact crater is still a fascinating puzzle. Jourdan noted, “What makes the discovery even more intriguing is that, although the impact must have been immense, scientists are yet to locate the crater.” While no craters of the right age are known in the immediate area, the research team has suggested possible locations in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. It can be mentioned that the geological activity in these regions means a crater might have been misidentified as a volcanic feature or hidden by erosion and other geological processes over millions of years.
The discovery of this ancient impact event offers valuable insights into how often extreme collisions happen on Earth, and it implies that large impacts that can produce tektites may be more common than previously thought. Jourdan stressed the broader implications of this research for planetary defence, saying, “Understanding when and how often large asteroids have struck Earth also helps us assess the risk of future impacts.” It also can be brought to attention that the findings highlight the importance of re-examining existing geological collections and using modern analytical techniques to uncover new secrets. This research clarifies Earth’s violent past and helps improve our understanding of the threats posed by celestial objects today and in the future.
