Fluorine and boron geochemistry of tektites,impact glasses,and target rocks

Abstract— We have analyzed fluorine and boron in nine tektites from all four strewn fields, and in a suite of impact glasses and target rocks from the Zhamanshin and Darwin impact craters, as well as Libyan Desert Glass and Aouelloul impact glass samples. Fluorine and boron are useful indicators for the volatilization and temperature history of tektites and impact glasses. Tektites from different strewn fields show a limited range of F and B contents and have F/B ratios near unity. Most splash-form tektites have lower average F and B contents than Muong Nong type tektites, which is similar to the relation between irghizites and zhamanshinites. The F and B contents in target rocks from the Zhamanshin and Darwin impact craters are similar to normal terrestrial sediments. Fluorine in impact glasses and tektites is more depleted compared to their (known or inferred) target rocks than is boron, which is caused by the higher volatility of F. The F/B ratios therefore decrease with increasing temperature of formation (suggesting that irghizites were formed at a higher temperature than zhamanshinites, and Muong Nong type tektites at a lower temperature than splash-form tektites). Mixing of local country rocks together with partial loss of the volatiles F and B can reproduce the F and B contents of impact glasses.