Tektites form when a space rock collides with Earth, melts surface material, and blasts molten debris across vast distances. The newly recognised tektites, discovered mainly in South Australia, mark a previously unknown impact event.
Professor Fred Jourdan from Curtin's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences said the glasses preserve a violent moment in the planet's history.
"These glasses are unique to Australia and have recorded an ancient impact event we did not even know about," Jourdan said. "They formed when an asteroid slammed into Earth, melting surface rock and scattering debris for thousands of kilometres. These tiny pieces of glass are like little time capsules from deep in our planet's history."
Although the impact was immense, no crater has yet been located. Jourdan added that understanding the frequency of such collisions is crucial for assessing the risk of future asteroid strikes and strengthening planetary defence.
Lead author Anna Musolino, a PhD student at Aix-Marseille University, said the discovery reveals a new type of tektite with distinct chemical and age characteristics.
"These tektites are unique because of their unusual chemistry and their age, which is about 11 million years," Musolino said. "They record a completely separate impact event from the famous Australasian tektite-strewn field. While the Australasian tektites formed about 780,000 years ago and are spread across half the globe, these tektites are much older and their discovery suggests a previously unrecognised giant impact."
The work forms part of a broader project led by Emeritus Professor Pierre Rochette of Aix-Marseille University, underscoring the destructive legacy of past impacts and the need to study them closely.
Research Report:A new tektite strewn field in Australia ejected from a volcanic arc impact crater 11 Myr ago'
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