Description
Every day, millions of lightning strikes Earth. Each one carries enormous energy, generating temperatures of up to 20,000 degrees Celsius. However, very few of these flashes reach Earth, and again, only a fraction actually strike. But when this rare combination is met, the enormous energies melt and transform quartz sand into natural gravel glass (amorphous SiO2) within seconds, called fulgurite. The name is derived from the Latin "Fulgurit" (Fulgur), which means to flash. The common pipe-shaped form can reach several meters in length and is known in physics as a flash tube.
