Darwin glass

Darwin Glass is a natural impact glass from western Tasmania, Australia. It formed approximately 816,000 years ago during an impact event in which terrestrial rocks were exposed to extreme pressure and temperature, melted, and then rapidly cooled into natural glass.

Darwin Glass finds are scattered across an area of approximately 400 km² around Mount Darwin and Queenstown. The probable source of this impact event is considered to be Darwin Crater, approximately 1.2 km in diameter, located in a remote area of western Tasmania.

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How Did Darwin Glass Form?

During the impact, rocks at the Earth's surface were rapidly melted. The resulting melt was ejected into the surrounding area and solidified into glass during rapid cooling. The impact origin of Darwin Glass is supported, among other evidence, by the presence of coesite, a high-pressure form of silicon dioxide that can form under extreme impact conditions.

The chemical composition of Darwin Glass corresponds predominantly to melted terrestrial material and is rich in silicon dioxide (SiO₂). Research has also shown that it is not glass formed by ordinary volcanic processes.

Appearance of Darwin Glass

Darwin Glass most commonly occurs in olive-green, dark green to almost black shades. Some specimens are translucent, while others are nearly opaque. Irregular structures, glassy surfaces and locally porous to vesicular textures may also be characteristic.

Individual specimens vary considerably in shape, color, translucency and structure, making Darwin Glass an interesting collectible material among natural impact glasses.

Darwin Crater in Tasmania

Darwin Crater is an approximately 1.2 km wide circular structure in western Tasmania. Due to its location, age and the occurrence of Darwin Glass in the surrounding region, it is considered the probable source of the glass. However, the glass itself occurs only very rarely within the crater fill, and most known specimens come from the wider surrounding area.