PHYTOFULGURITES: A NEW TYPE OF GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS

Abstract

Lightning strikes to dry dielectric rocks result in local evaporation and melting of mineral matter and formation of fulgurites, which are peculiar geological formations consisting of glass, relicts of host rocks, and newly formed (hereafter, neogenic) mineral matter. They form under conditions of local ultrahighspeed (hundredths to thousandths of a second) impact of ultrahigh temperatures (up to 25 000 K) and pressures (>250 kbar) caused by tremendous atmospheric electric discharge up to 80 Kl (current strength up to 200 kA) on mineral matter that is accompanied by light, X-ray, gamma, and other types of radiation.