Storm Highway by Dan Robinson
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Storm Highway by Dan RobinsonClick for an important message

What are the glassy formations resulting from lightning striking sandy soil?

Fulgurite
By DAN ROBINSON
Editor/Photographer
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When lightning strikes the ground where the soil is sandy in nature, the intense heat from the lightning channel fuses the soil into hollow, glassy, brittle formations that are shaped like the lightning channel that formed it. These formations are called fulgurites. Mineralogical Research Co. has pictures of fulgurites for sale.

The photo above shows one of two 2 1/2" long fulgurites that I bought from Mineralogical Research. These were formed by lightning strikes on the Pecos Plains in western Texas.

Storm chaser and photographer Dan Robinson
About the Author: Dan Robinson has been a storm chaser, photographer and cameraman for 30 years. His career has involved traveling around the country covering the most extreme weather on the planet including tornadoes, hurricanes, lightning, floods and winter storms. Dan has been extensively published in newspapers, magazines, web articles and more, and has both supplied footage for and appeared in numerous television productions and newscasts. He has also been involved in the research community, providing material for published scientific journal papers on tornadoes and lightning. Dan also holds an active Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA (Part 107) for commercial drone operation.

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