Atacamaite

Atacamaites are rare impact glasses from the Atacama Desert in Chile. They formed approximately 7.8 million years ago during the high-velocity impact of an iron cosmic body. The extreme heat generated by the impact melted local rocks, and part of the resulting melt was ejected into the surrounding area, where it rapidly cooled and solidified into natural glass.

Atacamaites occur as small glassy objects with various irregular to aerodynamic shapes. Their structure and chemical composition preserve information not only about the melted terrestrial rocks but also traces of material from the impactor itself. This is one of the features that clearly distinguishes them from classical tektites.

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How Did Atacamaites Form?

Research has shown that atacamaites formed approximately 7.83 million years ago when local rocks were melted by the impact of an iron meteoroid. Temperatures generated during the impact exceeded those required to completely melt the rocks, producing a glassy melt that was subsequently ejected into the surrounding area.

Chemical analyses have also revealed a significant contribution of meteoritic material in atacamaites. On average, it accounts for approximately 5% of their mass, and its composition suggests that the impactor was most likely an IIAB-group iron meteoroid.

Strewn Field in the Atacama Desert

Atacamaites have been found in the central part of the Atacama Desert across an area of approximately 650 km². Individual specimens are generally small, and their distribution suggests that they were ejected into the surrounding area during the impact event.

The source crater has not yet been identified. It is nevertheless assumed to lie relatively close to the known strewn field and may have a diameter on the order of approximately one kilometre.

Why Are Atacamaites Not Tektites?

Atacamaites share several characteristics with tektites – they are natural glasses formed during an impact event, have a low water content, and some specimens display shapes produced during the flight of molten material. However, they differ from classical tektites in their smaller size, greater chemical heterogeneity, significant proportion of impactor material and probably also their much shorter transport distance from the impact site.

For this reason, atacamaites are classified as impact glasses rather than classical tektites.