"Scientists have confirmed the first known field of tektites ever discovered in Brazil. Tektites are pieces of natural glass created when an extraterrestrial object strikes Earth with tremendous force, melting surface rock and ejecting it through the atmosphere. The newly identified specimens have been named geraisites after the state of Minas Gerais, where they were first found. Their discovery adds an important new chapter to South America’s still-limited record of ancient impact events."