Scientists in Chile discovered that a comet explosion occurred 12,000 years ago that turned the Earth into glass

in a Atacama desert, employment Chile, about 80 kilometers from the coast, it is possible to find a vast area filled with silicate glass panels. A team of researchers concluded that this phenomenon has a possible cause: The comet exploded 12,000 years ago that generated a heat source of such intensity that transformed the sandy soil.

Specialists analyzed and found glass samples Fragments of minerals are commonly found in exotic rocks. Strictly speaking, the collected material corresponds to the composition of a comet called wild 2, taken by NASA as part of the Stardust mission.

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As shown in the study published in the journal geology, and minerals found in Atacama, in northern Chile, most likely foreign body remains. The probability is that they will match a comet with a composition similar to that of Wild 2 mentioned above, plus it indicates that the explosion melted the sand.

Where was the discovery made?

The glasses and minerals studied were found on a plateau located in northern Chile, between the Andes Mountains in the east and the Coast Mountains in the west. On their side, the glazed fields (green and black) lie in a corridor of about 75 kilometres.

How were the glasses made in the Atacama?

Experts pointed out that there is no evidence that these materials were caused by a volcanic eruption, so their source was a mystery to scientists. Other researchers said the trophies may have originated after wildfires, when that area was not desert but filled with wetlands, rivers and trees.

However, the authors of the new study say these hypotheses are unreasonable and focus their attention on Comet Explosion.

In tests, they found minerals called zircon, which thermally decompose to form what is known as “badlite”. This metallic transition occurs at temperatures above 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, much higher than would be generated in the context of wildfires.

This is the first time we have clear evidence Glasses on the ground created by heat and wind radiation from a fireball “It exploded just above the surface,” said Pete Schultz, a professor in the Department of Earth, Environment and Planetarium at Brown University in the US.

One researcher said:

This was a truly massive explosion.

“To have such a dramatic effect on such a large area, this was Really massive explosion. “Many of us have seen fireballs from BOLD rockets twinkling in the sky, but these are small dots compared to this,” Schultz added.

In addition to the metallic transformation, the researchers found Strange substances found only in meteorites and other exotic formations.

The study was conducted with researchers from the Fernbank Science Center in Georgia, the University of Santo Tomas in Chile and the Chilean Geology and Mining Service.

“real show”

“It’s too early to say if there was a causal relationship or not, but what we can say is that this event occurred around the same time we thought the megafauna disappeared, which is interesting,” Schultz said. “There is also a possibility that this may have been witnessed by the first residents who had just arrived in the area” and that this “would be a wonderful sight.”