Admin Where can I find Australite?
Most australites are found in Southern Australia, below 25 degrees latitude. Based on similar ages and compositions, they represent the southern edge of the vast Australasian tektite strewnfield that stretches from southern China to Australia.
What are tektites made of?
Tektites are small, pebble-like glassy objects of Earth material that have been melted by meteorite impact, splashed up into our atmosphere, and fallen to Earth again under gravity. They often acquire aerodynamic shapes when they partially melt on their return journey.
What is the price of Tektite?
A price of $5-13 / gram covers most specimens, with somewhere in the middle of this a pretty realistic price for an average specimen. Central American tektites have a sparse supply, are not common and found in a relatively small area.
Is Tektite radioactive?
The average thorium, uranium, and potassium values of the 35 tektites counted were 11.8 ppm, 2.1 ppm, and 1.9% respectively. The microsites of the alpha-emitters were investigated by autoradiography and it was determined that the radioactivity in tektites is homogeneously distributed and of a low flux.
Is a Tektite?
Tektites (from Ancient Greek τηκτός (tēktós) ‘molten’) are gravel-sized bodies composed of black, green, brown, or gray natural glass formed from terrestrial debris ejected during meteorite impacts. The term was coined by Austrian geologist Franz Eduard Suess (1867–1941), son of Eduard Suess.
What makes an australite have a button shape?
Aerodynamically shaped australite; the button shape is caused by ablation of molten glass in the atmosphere during reentry. Australites are tektites found in Australia. They are mostly dark or black, and have shapes including discs and bowls that are not seen in other tektites.
Where are Most australites found in the world?
Most australites are found in Southern Australia, below 25 degrees latitude. Based on similar ages and compositions, they represent the southern edge of the vast Australasian tektite strewnfield that stretches from southern China to Australia.
How are australites different from other tektites?
Australites are smaller than other tektites and different in shape. Their initial velocity was higher than other tektites: enough to propel them just out of the Earth’s atmosphere, so they then re-entered the atmosphere and underwent a rare secondary melting. One of the most famous australite shapes is the “flanged button”.
How did the Europeans find out about australites?
Indigenous Australians termed australites ooga (“staring eyes”), and they were used as sacred objects or as cutting tools. Europeans found out about australites in 1857, when explorer Thomas Mitchell gave naturalist Charles Darwin a mysteriously shaped piece of natural black glass.