Correlations between O^(18)/O^(16) ratios and chemical compositions of tektites

Abstract

The limits of oxygen isotope variation in tektites have been determined by analyzing 33 tektites that cover the widest possible spectrum of chemical compositions. δO^(18) values were obtained for 7 australites (8.9 to 11.0), 4 javaites (9.4 to 10.0), 3 indochinites (9.3 to 10.6), 5 philippinites (9.8 to 10.6), 8 moldavites (10.7 to 11.8), and 6 Ivory Coast tektites (13.0 to 13.6), as well as 2 samples of Darwin glass (14.4 to 14.9). Various tektite groupings based on chemical composition and geographic occurrence all show a systematic increase in O^(18) with decreasing SiO_2 content, similar to that previously found for the bediasites. These systematic correlations must arise either by (1) vapor fractionation of tektite material during impact melting or (2) mixing of a SiO_2-rich igneous component and a low-SiO_2 component formed at a much lower temperature; perhaps the mixing occurred during weathering at the earth's surface or during hydrothermal alteration of silicic igneous rocks either on the earth or the moon.

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