A recent scientific investigation, detailed in the journal Geology, has identified minute mineral fragments within vitreous formations from the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. These constituents bear a striking resemblance to minerals commonly associated with extraterrestrial geological bodies. Specifically, their composition closely mirrors that of material collected and returned to Earth via NASA’s Stardust initiative, which gathered particulate matter from the comet designated Wild 2. It is strongly suggested that these minerals represent the remnants of a cometary entity—most probably a comet sharing compositional similarities with Wild 2—that descended following a catastrophic explosion which liquefied the underlying sandy terrain.
(A) location map for glass localities in Chile: (1) southwest of La Calera; (2) near the town of Pica; (3) Puquio de Núñez; (4) Quebrada de Chipana; and (5) Quebrada Guatacondo. (B) concentration of glassy slabs (dark masses) at the Chipana locality. Largest example in this view is 0.4 m across. Image credit: Schultz et al., doi: 10.1130/G49426.1.
Professor Pete Schultz, a researcher affiliated with Brown University’s Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, stated, “This marks the inaugural instance where we possess unambiguous evidence of terrestrial glasses formed by the intense thermal radiation and powerful winds originating from a fireball that detonated perilously close to the surface.”
He further elaborated, “The sheer magnitude of the impact across such an extensive geographical expanse attests to an exceptionally colossal explosion. While many of us have observed fleeting bolide fireballs traversing the celestial sphere, these are comparatively insignificant phenomena when contrasted with this event.”
These silicate glasses, dating back to the Pleistocene epoch, were initially discovered in 2012 within the Atacama Desert, distributed along a north-south corridor spanning 75 kilometers, situated near and extending south of the settlement of Pica.
They are observable in five distinct general zones, each featuring numerous scattered patches ranging in size from 1 square meter to over 100 square meters.
Their distinct coloration is a deep black or green. A significant number exhibit morphological characteristics suggesting they underwent substantial movement—including sliding, shearing, twisting, rolling, and folding, in some instances multiple times—prior to their complete solidification.
Consequently, initially planar vitreous sheets, measuring between 5 cm and 7 cm in thickness, were reshaped into large, contorted fused masses, some attaining diameters of up to 50 cm.
This phenomenon aligns perfectly with the hypothesis of a massive inbound meteor triggering an airburst explosion, an event that would have been accompanied by devastating winds akin to those of a tornado.
(A) example of large glass slab at Chipana (Chile) that folded over during emplacement; (B) twisted glass slab with two contrasting surfaces from Puquio de Núñez: one side is rough with sediments attached; the other side is smooth with flow patterns; contrasting textures indicate formation on a sedimentary surface with subsequent mobilization; (C) thin-section view of folded glass from Puquio de Núñez showing typical green color, vesicles, and schlieren; (D) cut section of large vesicular glass slab with multiple folds that indicate folding while still molten. Image credit: Schultz et al., doi: 10.1130/G49426.1.
Professor Schultz commented, “The absence of any residual evidence pointing to volcanic origins for these glasses rendered their formation a persistent enigma.”
“Certain scientific minds have put forth the hypothesis that these glassy formations resulted from ancient widespread conflagrations, given that the region was not perpetually arid.”
“During the Pleistocene era, the landscape featured verdant oases with arboreal vegetation and marshy grasslands sustained by river systems originating in the eastern mountains. It has been proposed that extensive wildfires may have generated sufficient heat to liquefy the sandy substrate, thereby creating these large glassy formations.”
“However, the sheer volume of glass produced, coupled with several critical physical attributes, renders the notion of formation solely through common fires entirely untenable.”
In the course of their research, Professor Schultz and his team conducted an exhaustive chemical analysis on numerous samples of Pica glass.
Their findings revealed the presence of minerals known as zircons that had undergone thermal decomposition, transforming into baddeleyite.
Professor Schultz noted, “This particular mineralogical alteration process typically necessitates temperatures exceeding 1,650 degrees Celsius (3,000 degrees Fahrenheit)—a thermal intensity far beyond what could be achieved by terrestrial fires.”
Further examination also unearthed congregations of unusual minerals exclusively found within meteorites and other forms of extraterrestrial celestial bodies.
The identification of specific minerals, including cubanite, troilite, and calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions, directly correlated with the mineralogical signatures recovered from comet samples obtained through NASA’s Stardust mission.
Dr. Scott Harris, a planetary geologist at the Fernbank Science Center, remarked, “These minerals provide definitive indications connecting this celestial object to cometary origins.”
He added, “The presence of identical mineralogy to that observed in the Stardust samples, embedded within these vitreous formations, constitutes exceptionally robust evidence supporting the conclusion that we are observing the aftermath of a cometary airburst event.”
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Peter H. Schultz et al. Widespread glasses generated by cometary fireballs during the Late Pleistocene in the Atacama Desert, Chile. Geology, published online November 2, 2021; doi: 10.1130/G49426.1
