It sounds like a superhero origin story, but scientists have discovered a new type of substance created after a lightning strike struck a tree.This particular form of crystalline phosphorus has never been seen on Earth. , and may belong to a new mineral group.
During a thunderstorm in the summer of 2012, lightning struck a tree in Newport Richie, Florida, momentarily melting the soil and sand around its roots, forming a structure called fulgurite or “fossilized lightning.” rice field. The property owner discovered Fulgurite and sold it to Matthew Pasek, a geoscientist at the University of South Florida (USF).
Fulgurite is a treasure trove of interesting minerals thanks to the strange chemical reactions that occur as a result of the extreme energy of lightning strikes. And when the USF team opened it up, they discovered a strange new form of calcium phosphite.
“We have not seen this material occur naturally on Earth. Minerals similar to this can be found in meteorites and in space, but we have never seen this exact same material anywhere.” says Pasek.
By examining fulgurite in detail, the team pieced together how this material formed. In wetlands like Florida, iron is known to accumulate around tree roots, and lightning strikes burn that iron and fuse it with the silicon in the sand around the tree roots. At the same time, the carbon in the wood itself was also burned, and these elements together caused a chemical reaction to form fulgurite and new phosphite materials inside.
When the team tried to recreate the new ingredients in the lab, the recipe didn’t get right. This suggests that very specific conditions are required for this material to form. For example, heating too long results in minerals similar to those found in meteorites.
The team will continue to investigate this material to determine if it qualifies for official declaration as a new mineral.
A study was published in a journal Nature Communications Earth and Environment.
Source: University of South Florida
