Scientists believe tektites formed from Earth material that melted upon meteorite impact and were thrown into our atmosphere, before falling back to the ground. Tektites between 750,000 to 35.5 million years old have been found across the planet in areas called strewn fields. These strewn fields are found on every continent except Antarctica, according to the Jackson School Museum of Earth History at the University of Texas at AustinScientists have largely been able to determine the source crater for tektites, with the exception of one -- the Australasian field. It extends all the way from southern China to south Australia, and is the largest known tektite field, covering about 10% of the earth's surface. Based on the scientists' calculations, the hidden impact crater that produced the vast Australasian field of strewn tektites is about 13 kilometers (8 miles) wide and 17 kilometers (11 miles) long.

Source: CNN January 09, 2020 04:41 UTC