Lightning Reshapes Rocks at the Atomic Level, Professor of Earth and Environmental Science Finds

In a new paper published in the journal American Mineralogist, Reto Gieré, professor and chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Science, and his coauthors found that a lightning strike produces enough pressure in a rock to create distinct atomic-level structures called shock lamellae. Prior to this study, the only natural events known to create this type of lamellae were meteorite impacts.

“I think the most exciting thing about this study is just to see what lightning can do,” Gieré said. “To see that lightning literally melts the surface of a rock and changes crystal structures, to me, is fascinating.”

Read the full release here.

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