For readers who want the full picture
Detailed explanation
A large impact melts and ejects terrestrial surface material. Droplets and fragments solidify during flight into tektite glass.
Known strewn fields include Australasia, Central Europe, North America and the Ivory Coast.
- Material
- terrestrial impact glass
Placed in context
Groups and subgroups
These cards show the next classification level. Linked groups open their own detailed explanation.
Australasian strewn field
The largest and youngest major tektite strewn field, including australites, indochinites, philippinites and related regional forms.
Moldavites
Green tektites of the Central European strewn field linked to the Ries impact.
North American tektites
Dark bediasites and the georgiaite/microtektite group are linked to the Chesapeake Bay impact.
Ivory Coast tektites
A small West African strewn field linked to the Bosumtwi crater in Ghana.
Why tektites are not meteorites
The impactor came from space, but the tektite itself consists mainly of melted terrestrial rock. It must therefore be labelled separately as impact material in the shop.
Terrestrial rock transformed by impact
A large impact melts and partly vaporises near-surface terrestrial rocks almost instantly, ejecting them far from the crater. Droplets and sheets solidify in flight into silicate glass with very low water content.
The high temperature homogenises material more strongly than in many volcanic glasses. Tektites generally contain no chondrules or typical meteoritic metal. They are products of a meteorite impact but are not extraterrestrial meteorites themselves.
Strewn fields, shapes and names
Major strewn fields include the Australasian, the Central European moldavite field, the North American field of bediasites and georgiaites, and the Ivory Coast field. Age, chemistry and distribution connect each with an impact.
Rotating droplets form spheres, discs, tears and dumbbells. Some Australasian tektites were aerodynamically reshaped during later re-entry. Surface pits can result from etching and weathering and should not simply be called regmaglypts.
Short & simple
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Natural terrestrial glass from the ejecta of large impacts — not meteorites.
- A large impact melts and ejects terrestrial surface material. Droplets and fragments solidify during flight into tektite glass.
- Known strewn fields include Australasia, Central Europe, North America and the Ivory Coast.
Verifiable
Sources & databases
Editorially paraphrased and expanded from the linked specialist and primary sources; reviewed 24 August 2026. New classifications and database entries may require later updates.