In summer 2011, when visiting the Meteor (Barringer) Crater in Arizona, Alfred Dufter from Inzell (Germany) sampled a few breccias roughly 1.5 km to the northwest of the crater center. On closer inspection of the rocks he detected an accumulation of glass spherules (shown in the photographs below) which are assumed to originate from the impact event. As far as we know, melt particles of this kind have never before been found in and around Meteor Crater and thus add to the altogether sparse occurrence of impact melts at this famous impact site (also see Osinski, G.R. et al. (2006) LPSC XXXVII, 1005.pdf.; Hörz F. et al. (2002) Meteorit. Planet. Sci., 37, 501–531; Osinski, G.R. et al. (2003) 66th Annual Meteoritical Society Meeting, 5070.pdf).

Reddish breccia and an accumulation of the spherules in the whitish carbonate crust. Millimeter scale.

Close-up of glass spherules.