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Origin of moldavites
Origin of moldavites
Today, most researchers accept the theory that moldavites, and in the same way also other tektites, are the product of terrestrial impact and represent melted target
rocks ejected during crater formation.
The Ries impact crater, which is genetically associated with moldavites, is located about 120 km east of Stuttgart in Germany. It forms a morphologically marked depression
with the outer diameter of 25 km. Its age is identical with the age of the moldavites. According to several independent determinations (K/Ar, 40Ar/39Ar, fission-track), this age most often ranges from 14.2 to 15.2 Ma.
The cause of the origin of the Ries crater was the impact of a stone meteorite. Morgan et al. (1977) considered that it was aubrite because of the very low enrichment of impact glasses by Ir, Os and Ni.