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Published December 5, 2023
9 min read
Back in 2011, geologist Kerry Sieh had an unexpected encounter in a jewelry shop in Vietnam that ignited a fascination with a cosmic mystery.
While admiring the country’s famous gemstones, he came across a set of tektites, intriguing glassy black rocks that could hold the key to uncovering Earth’s last major impact event.
Fast forward 12 years, and Sieh is more determined than ever to solve this puzzle. His latest research, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, presents compelling evidence for an impact crater in southern Laos, hidden beneath layers of lava and ash.
These findings suggest a catastrophic history that could rewrite our understanding of this stunning region, known for its waterfalls and agricultural beauty.
By piecing together the rocky deposits and tektites spread across a 310-mile-wide area, Sieh’s case for the Bolaven Plateau’s hidden past is now “all but indisputable,” he says.
But as with every scientific discovery, not everyone is convinced. However, the evidence presented in this groundbreaking study has brought us closer to unraveling the secrets of a meteorite impact that dates back nearly 800,000 years.