Fission track age of Transantarctic Mountain microtektites

Abstract We determined the fission track age of Transantarctic Mountain microtektites. The plateau method yielded a formation age of 0.85 ± 0.17 Ma. This age overlaps within error with that of the catastrophic impact that produced the Australasian tektite–microtektite strewn field ca. 0.8 Ma ago. This provides further evidence that Transantarctic Mountain microtektites belong to the Australasian tektite–microtektite strewn field, as previously suggested on the basis of geochemical evidence, Sr–Nd isotope systematics and poorly resolved radiometric data.