“We’ve never seen this material naturally on Earth”. So, extremely puzzled, the geoscientist Matthew Pasekof the University of South Florida, tries to describe a strange object he is analyzing.
And the strangest thing is how it was formed, since it was first found in solid form on our planet on a rock that was near a tree struck by lightning.
What is the strange material that appeared after a lightning strike
“We have never seen this material naturally on Earth. It can be found similar minerals in meteorites It is in the space, but we have never seen exactly this material anywhere. It is something unprecedented,” the expert said in a University publication.
This thunderstruck -a tube-like metamorphic rock that forms after atmospheric lightning- contains encounter.
Also, according to a study published in Earth & Environment Communicationscan be classified as transition between space minerals and those found on our planet.
In the research, Pasek examines how the high energy eventslike lightning, it can cause unique chemical reactions and, in this case, it results in a new things.
“High-energy events, such as the lightning, I am able to trigger unique chemical reactions. For example, when lightning strikes a tree, the electrical discharges pass through the surrounding rocks, soil, and sand. As a result, fulgurites or fossilized rays are formed, pieces of sintered siliceous rocksclarified the scientist in the study.
How did you discover this rare item?
Item was found in New Richey door, Florida, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. they were theirs neighborhood those who discovered fulgurite near a tree struck by lightning and they sold it.
It was at that time that Pasek bought it and started a partnership with Luca Bindiprofessor of mineralogy and crystallography at the University of Florencein Italy.
Analysis revealed that fulgurite contained “coloured crystalline matter”something the researchers had never seen before.
“When a lightning strikes a treethe ground usually explodes and the surrounding grass dies, forming a scar and sending an electrical discharge through nearby rock, soil, and sand, forming fulgurites, also known as ‘fossilized rays’Pasek explained.
According to experts, the details RT site, it is probable that this material is formed only under certain conditions and that, in the face of a prolonged heatingbecome a common mineral in meteorites.
The team started investigating unusual minerals containing the item encounterespecially those formed by lightning, to better understand high-energy phenomena.
In this sense, Pasek underlined that: “It’s important figure out how much energy lightning has because then we can know how much damage they can cause”, remarked the expert.
And he added: “Florida is the Lightning Capital of the World and safety is important: if lightning is strong enough to melt rock, then surely they will be too it can melt people”.
In humid environments, such as e.g Floridathe scientist assures that the the iron builds up and lodges itself in the roots of trees.
In this particular case, the lightning not only scorched the iron from the roots of the tree, but also burned the carbon found in the tree. The two elements gave rise to a chemical reaction that created a special fulgurite. And inside was a colored and crystalline matter never seen before.
Currently, the research team continues to analyze the substance to determine if it can be officially declared as a mineral.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.