The latest discovery is from a much earlier collision and is a result
of a catastrophic impact that vaporised rock and spewed a sea of
molten glass droplets half way across the world.
George Walkden, who led the research team from the University of
Aberdeen and the Open University, said the droplets of molten glass
became fossilised as a layer two centimetres thick, now eight metres
below ground.
Geoff,
I was lucky enough to see a piece of this new British impact ejecta at the museum last week, when Monica Grady showed me a chunk of a greenish coloured rock, comprised of very small glassy spheroids. I wish I'd taken a picture now!
I forget how old she said it was, but it was created after the impact of a huge meteorite, when Canada was a LOT nearer to the UK, so we're going back quite a long time here (another Brit understatement? ;-) ).
The exact locality in Bristol is being kept a closely guarded secret for the moment, but that makes two ancient impact events for the UK, both discovered/recognised within the last 6 months!
Cheers,
Rob Elliott
www.meteorites.uk.com
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