I believe the features on most tektites are produced during formation and not by etching. As the molten material reaches the upper atmosphere they reach a verry cold environment with low atmospheric pressure. The skin of the material is outgassing while being exposed to sub zero temps. this outgassing while freezing causes the skin to crystalize in strange shapes. then they are smoothed off during re entry which reaches speeds over the speed of sound. when wet limestone mud freezes in winter it causes similar crystal formations. when you mash them down they look like the surface of tektites. the molten material travels up to 4 or 5 miles in a molten state where it is quenched by sub zero tempratures causing crystalization. then re heated during its fall back to earth. the deep sharp grooves made during cooling are rounded off during re melting. I have a teardrop with smooth glassy surface on one end with no etching. if the etching was terestrial the whole tektite would be etched. Cheers Steve Dunklee ______________________________________________
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