Physico-chemical study of an exogenic fulgurite from a thunderstorm on 10th August 2013 in Dallas, TX

Alte da Veiga, Nuno M.S. ; Martín Gil, Francisco J. ; Martín Gil, Jesús ; Carvalho Gomes, Elsa María ; Martín Ramos, Pablo (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: Droplet-like exogenic fulgurites comprise a minor grouplet of natural glasses resulting from powerful lightning strikes. Reports on such type-V fulgurites are scarce in the literature. In this work, a fulgurite specimen from the thunderstorm that took place on 10th August 2013, in Dallas, TX, USA, has been analyzed using X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and infrared and Raman spectroscopy techniques. X-ray diffraction revealed the amorphous nature of the exofulgurite, and X-ray fluorescence showed a high Si, Al and Ca content. Infrared and Raman spectroscopy were key in revealing clear Si–O modes related signatures and a very significant presence of water (OH/H2O). A parallel with glassy silicate materials, but also with opal-A, was essential in the understanding of the fulgurite’s characteristics. In particular, Raman data evidenced the exofulgurite to have a high degree of depolymerization.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1007/s00269-021-01134-w

Año: 2021

Publicado en: PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY OF MINERALS 48 (2021), 12 [15 pp.]
ISSN: 0342-1791

Factor impacto JCR: 1.748 (2021)

Categ. JCR: MINERALOGY rank: 19 / 30 = 0.633 (2021) - Q3 - T2
Categ. JCR: MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY rank: 278 / 344 = 0.808 (2021) - Q4 - T3

Factor impacto CITESCORE: 3.5 - Earth and Planetary Sciences (Q2) - Materials Science (Q2)

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.596 - Materials Science (miscellaneous) (Q2) - Geochemistry and Petrology (Q2)

Tipo y forma: Artículo (PostPrint)

Área (Departamento): Area Ingeniería Agroforestal (Dpto. CC.Agrar.y Medio Natural)