Exploration of tektite formation processes through water and metal content measurements |
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| Authors: | Nigel WATT Romain A BOUCHET Cin‐Ty A LEE |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Earth Science, Rice University MS‐126, 6100 Main St, Houston, Texas 77005, USA;2. Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure et Université Claude Bernard, CNRS, 46 Allée d’Italie, 69007 Lyon, France |
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| Abstract: | Abstract– Impact events are a significant surface‐modifying process on solar system objects lacking frequent resurfacing by atmospheric or igneous processes. To better explore the effects of impacts on surface materials, we measured the water and trace element compositions of tektites from Da Lat, Vietnam. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used for water measurements and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used for trace element measurements. Consistent with previous investigations of tektites, we found that the samples are depleted in volatile metals (e.g., Zn, Pb) as well as in water compared with the average continental crust, although water contents are still extremely high for rocks melted at atmospheric pressure. While Zn and Pb concentrations are linearly correlated with each other, there is no correlation between H2O and Zn or Pb contents. Combined with water contents of other tektites in the Australasian strewn field, our results demonstrate that the source impact occurred at a wet site in or off the coast of the Indochina peninsula. |
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