Specimen #2191

Name: Lightning Struck Quartz

Type: Mineral

Locality: near Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Favorite? N

Fluorescent? N

Size: 6.0 x 1.2 x 1.1 cm

Weight: 11

Acquired: 2010-12-03

Source: Trinity: Luciana Barbosa

Label: N

Comment: This is quite an interesting one. It's a Quartz crystal that has been etched by atmospheric electric discharge (lightning). The Quartz is gemmy and the etching is really wide with criscros patterns concentrated on one side of the crystal. How do we know the etching was mage by lightning? Among other things, melted barbed wire found in the vincinities. The region also has frequent thunderstorms. I will include an article about this phenomena with it, from The American Geophysical Union, Fall 99 meeting.

Minerals: Quartz (SiO₂)

There is one picture on file

M02191-01.jpg:

Lightning Struck Quartz, near Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil - 6.0 x 1.2 x 1.1 cm