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Microtektites, Beloc,
Haiti
What happened 65 million
years ago was a truly monstrous event that altered Earth's geologic history. An
asteroid, 10 to 15 km in diameter, traveling around 36,000 miles per hour
slammed into what is now known as the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, producing
the Chicxulub crater, bringing an end to the dinosaurs, and starting the rise
of mammals.
The microtektites of Beloc,
Haiti, also referred to as Chicxulub microtektites, are relics directly
associated with the impact of this event. These tiny spheroids and fragments
are around a fraction of a millimeter in diameter and size. Time has altered
these once glassy droplets, through secondary devitrification into palagonite
and smectite clays although some glass remains.
Many tektite shapes are
represented - teardrop, ovals, round, and other tektite morphologies. These
microtektites are true collectibles if you can find them. They tell the harsh
reality of an asteroid impact on Earth.
Photograph, Beloc, Haiti,
microtektites.
Individual tektite scaled
size, 0.15 to 0.55 mm
Image copyright 2023, New
England Meteoritical Services |
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