Tektites, the Mysterious Little Rocks

     Tektites are a variety of what is called “natural glass.” Natural glass refers to a glassy substance that is made when rocks melt naturally. Obsidian is a famous variety of natural glass and looks very similar to some tektites (especially when polished) but tektites can be distinguished by the fact that they do not contain the microscopic crystals that obsidian does. Tektites are usually green, dark brown, or black in color and are found as little nodules that are usually less than four inches in diameter. Tektites are usually found as spheres, tear-drop shapes, lenses, dumbbell-shapes, discs, and ellipses. Tektites were first discovered in the Moldau River in the former Czechoslovakia and were named moldavites. Today the term moldavite refers to a green variety of tektite found only in that area. The varieties of tektites are named from the places in which they are found. For example: a tektite found in Australia is called australite.
     For a long time scientists did not understand the tektite’s origin. For a long time it was suggested that tektites were formed when meteorites passed through the earth’s atmosphere. When a meteorite enters the earth’s atmosphere it is subjected to a great deal of heat as it passes along (this is why they look like “shooting stars” at night) Tektites were once thought to be leftover blobs that fell off of a meteorite’s molten surface. Tektites were once thought to come from the moon as well. Today it is thought that when a meteorite strikes the earth the intense heat caused by the impact will melt the sand around the meteorite, thus making tektites out of rocks from the earth and not for the meteorite itself. We may never know exactly how tektites are formed, but most theories have something to do with space.
Tektites have few uses outside of the rock and mineral collection. I would assume that they are used in science, but I do not know exactly what they could be used for. Tektites (especially moldavites) are also cut as gemstones occasionally.
     Since tektites are thought to be formed by the action of meteorites slamming into the earth’s surface they could be found, in theory, anywhere on earth where a meteorite has struck. Places where large deposits of tektites can be found include: Russia, the Australian state of Tasmania, Australia, southern China, the Ivory Coast, and the Czech Republic. Tektites have also been found in Thailand.
     Tektites are an amazing and mysterious part of God’s creation. We may never know how they are formed or where they come from, but I don’t think that that will stop people from collecting them any time soon!