Researchers have proposed a mechanism for the generation of glass spherules in geologic deposits through the occurrence of volcanic lightning. The existence of fulgurites -- glassy products formed in ...

Up to 24,000 people around the world die every year from lightning-related incidents, so you might think this natural phenomenon is something to be feared and avoided. That's not always the case, ...

In general, the answer here is no. The goal of cloud-to-ground lightning is to find the path of least resistance to the ground, and glass is far from an easy route for lightning to take. Glass is an ...

When lightning strikes the beach or desert, the electricity vaporizes the sand in less than a second, creating a geological phenomenon you might have to see to believe. The sand vaporizes as the ...

Materials researchers have reported the highest known breakdown strength for a bulk glass ever measured. Breakdown strength, along with dielectric constant, determines how much energy can be stored in ...

Sweet Home Alabama had us all believing that when lightning hits the ground, it can create beautiful, intricate glass sculptures. And while the phenomenon is rare, this can actually happen - although ...

Studying volcanic eruptions in person can be dangerous, and scientists have died trying. Volcanic lightning -- yes, volcanoes make lightning! -- by contrast offers a safer opportunity to examine what ...

In their open-access paper for Geology, Kimberly Genareau and colleagues propose, for the first time, a mechanism for the generation of glass spherules in geologic deposits through the occurrence of ...