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Fulgurites are formed when lightning strikes the ground, fusing and vitrifying mineral grains. [7] The primary SiO 2 phase in common tube fulgurites is lechatelierite, an amorphous silica glass. Many fulgurites show some evidence of crystallization: in addition to glasses, many are partially protocrystalline or microcrystalline.
A lightning strike can also create a large Lichtenberg figure in grass surrounding the point struck. These are sometimes found on golf courses or in grassy meadows. [12] Branching root-shaped "fulgurite" mineral deposits may also be created as sand and soil are fused into glassy tubes by the intense heat of the current.
Lightning can, and often does, strike the same place twice. Lightning in a thunderstorm is more likely to strike objects and spots that are more prominent or conductive. For instance, lightning strikes the Empire State Building in New York City on average 23 times per year. [250] Heat lightning does not exist as a
Vitrified sand is a type of natural glass, contrasted with manufactured glass in which soda ash or potash are added to lower the melting point. Pure quartz melts at 1,650 °C (3,002 °F). There are several natural processes that produce more or less melted sand and one man-made form: Fulgurite is sand fused by a lightning bolt hitting sand.
A dry thunderstorm is a thunderstorm that produces thunder and lightning, but where all or most of its precipitation evaporates before reaching the ground. [1] Dry lightning refers to lightning strikes occurring in this situation.
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[1] [2] Lightning strikes the average commercial aircraft at least once a year, but modern engineering and design means this is rarely a problem. The movement of aircraft through clouds can even cause lightning strikes. [3] A single lightning event is a "flash", which is a complex, multistage process, some parts of which are not fully understood.
To a section: This is a redirect from a topic that does not have its own page to a section of a page on the subject. For redirects to embedded anchors on a page, use {{ R to anchor }} instead . When appropriate, protection levels are automatically sensed, described and categorized.