Evidence for a ∼200–100 ka meteorite impact in the Western Desert of Egypt

In this study, we present evidence, in the form of unusual silicate glasses, for a meteorite impact event ∼200–100 ka in the Dakhleh Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt. These glasses, known locally as Dakhleh Glass, were derived from the shock melting of a series of unconsolidated sediments underlain by interbedded carbonates, sandstones and phosphate-rich lithologies. Hypervelocity impact in to a volatile-rich target resulted in the production of …