more silica - with a difference!!

crocoite · Post by **crocoite** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 3:38 am

You've had the hyalite and precious opal, both a form of silica, and both of which form under relatively low temperatures...

...now for something a little different. This is a photo of a 'fulgarite' - fused sand where it has been struck by lightning, location Evan's Head, New South Wales (my son's name is Evan. Hope it never hits him in the head).

The first image shows it side on and it is about 3cm long. The second shows the tube where the lightning bolt hit and fused the sand. This image about 9mm across.

Now, who's for a round of golf this nice sultry day

It is said that lightning strikes the earth around 100 times per second (obviously not all in the one location!)...and around 3,000 people are struck each year.

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 8:57 am

I've heard of this, but not seen pictures before. Very interesting!

Does the tubular opening go all the way through the length of the formation?

--Rik

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 11:19 am

Hi Steve, we have had fulgarite for sale at the store here. very interesting stuff once you know the story behind it. very nice pictures. I should take pictures of our Coprolites

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 11:43 am

Very neat!
They say lightning never srikes twice, yet it always strikes twice!

crocoite · Post by **crocoite** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 1:54 am

rjlittlefield wrote:Does the tubular opening go all the way through the length of the formation?--Rik

Hi Rik. Yes it does. This is only a small section. It's interesting to see the tube spiralling down too.

crocoite · Post by **crocoite** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 1:56 am

beetleman wrote:I should take pictures of our Coprplites

The collection that I recently acquired has some coprolites in it from Nundle in New South Wales. Unfortunately they are a bit boring. Great story behind them, but they are just brown 'lumps'...of rock

crocoite · Post by **crocoite** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 1:56 am

Cyclops wrote:Very neat!
They say lightning never srikes twice, yet it always strikes twice!

In fact, it can strike the same place many, many times.

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 2:39 am

A pretty interesting subject there Steve. I wonder, just wondering now, what fused sand from a nuclear blast may look like?

crocoite · Post by **crocoite** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 4:34 am

Ken Ramos wrote:A pretty interesting subject there Steve. I wonder, just wondering now, what fused sand from a nuclear blast may look like?

I have a piece from the original blast. It's called "trinityite". I'll see if I can dig it out and photograph for you.

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 5:33 pm

From the first test at New Mexico? I just love split atoms

crocoite · Post by **crocoite** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 12:57 am

Ken Ramos wrote:From the first test at New Mexico? I just love split atoms

Absolutely!