¹Reto Gieré, ²Wolfhard Wimmenauer, ²Hiltrud Müller-Sigmund, ³Richard Wirth, ⁴Gregory R. Lumpkin, ⁵Katherine L. Smith
¹Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6316, U.S.A.
²Institut für Geo- und Umweltnaturwissenschaften, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
³GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, Department 4, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
⁴Institute of Materials Engineering, ANSTO, Private Mail Bag 1, Menai, New South Wales 2234, Australia
⁵International Relations, ANSTO, P.O. Box 2001, Kirrawee DC, New South Wales 2232, Australia

Using transmission electron microscopy we show that planar deformation lamellae occur within quartz in the substrate of a rock fulgurite, i.e., a lightning-derived glass. These lamellae exist only in a narrow zone adjacent to the quartz/fulgurite boundary and are comparable to planar deformation features (“shock lamellae”) caused by hypervelocity impacts of extra-terrestrial objects. Our observations strongly suggest that the lamellae described here have been formed as a result of the fulgurite-producing lightning strike. This event must have generated a transient pressure pulse, whose magnitude, however, is uncertain at this stage.

Reference
Gieré R, Wimmenauer W, Müller-Sigmund H, Wirth R, Lumpkin GR, Smith KL (2015) Lightning-induced shock lamellae in quartz. American Mineralogist 100, 1645-1648
Link to Article [doi: 10.2138/am-2015-5218]

Copyright: The Mineralogical Society of America