Unusual features caused by lightning impact in West Greenland
By: Appel, Petter W.U
.
Contributor(s): Abrahamsen, Niels | Rasmussen,Thorkild M.
Material type: 
ArticleDescription: 737 - 742 pp ; Illustration.Subject(s): Lightning | Magnetization | Fulgurite | Greenland | Iron formation
In:
Geological magazine : Vol. 143 Iss. 1-6 Year. 2006Summary: Two lightning impacts are described from an area near the Inland Ice in West Greenland. The first lightning blasted an outcrop of metacherts. It subsequently split into two branches, which traversed rock outcrops and boulders, leaving behind two white almost straight lines, 30 m and 14 m long, respectively, where all lichens and plants were burned away. On the white lines the upper few millimetres of the traversed boulders were melted to a glass which subsequently peeled off by thermal expansion to leave a rough surface. Magnetic investigation of an amphibolite boulder found on the white line showed that a strong electric current indeed traversed the boulder. A few years later a second lightning impacted on a mountaintop close to the first impact. The second lightning left a trail on the rock surface covered by a thin layer of glass. The glass displays spectacular colours ranging from metallic blue to red, yellow and green.
| Item type | Current location | Collection | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Article
|
Library and Information Centre Periodical Section | Bound Journal Collection | Not for loan | 002538_79 | ||
Serials/Scientific Journal
|
Library and Information Centre Periodical Section | Bound Journal Collection | 550 GEO (Browse shelf) | Available | 002538 |
Two lightning impacts are described from an area near the Inland Ice in West Greenland. The first lightning blasted an outcrop of metacherts. It subsequently split into two branches, which traversed rock outcrops and boulders, leaving behind two white almost straight lines, 30 m and 14 m long, respectively, where all lichens and plants were burned away. On the white lines the upper few millimetres of the traversed boulders were melted to a glass which subsequently peeled off by thermal expansion to leave a rough surface. Magnetic investigation of an amphibolite boulder found on the white line showed that a strong electric current indeed traversed the boulder. A few years later a second lightning impacted on a mountaintop close to the first impact. The second lightning left a trail on the rock surface covered by a thin layer of glass. The glass displays spectacular colours ranging from metallic blue to red, yellow and green.
There are no comments for this item.