The tektites of Côte d'Ivoire, a scientific treasure trove in gold-bearing territory

Published on 03 July 2023

Tectite weighing 96 grams in the hand of its discoverer in Côte d'Ivoire. P.Rochette

Tektites are impact glasses that are ejected hundreds or even thousands of kilometres during a meteorite impact. These objects are rare and sought after by scientists interested in the environmental crises caused by asteroids colliding with our planet. A study, carried out as part of international cooperation1 which includes scientists from CNRS-INSU (see box), reveals new discoveries in the world's least-known tectite field in Côte d'Ivoire. Discovered in 1935, this exceptional scientific heritage had remained unexplored since the 1960s, with only a few hundred specimens recorded worldwide.

Petanki Soro Doctoral student at the European Centre for Research and Education in Environmental Geosciences (CEREGE)

Pierre Rochette Researcher at the European Centre for Research and Education in Environmental Geosciences (CEREGE)

For more information

Soro P., Rochette P., Baratoux D., Kouamelan A.N., Andrieu V., Monda O., 2023. Revisiting the Côte d'Ivoire tektite strewn fieldJournal of African Earth Sciences 205, 104990.

Study of the Côte d'Ivoire tektite field and the associated environmental crisisIRD le Mag', January 2022

The CEREGE

Science

Equipments

Academic Programs

Communication

The tektites of Côte d'Ivoire, a scientific treasure trove in gold-bearing territory

For more information