In a recent study published in Communications Earth & Environment, a team of researchers examine the potential for a new phosphorus material that was allegedly created from a lightning strike in New Port Richey, Florida in the summer of 2012. The discovery was found in a rock and is being called the first new phosphorus material discovered in solid form on the Earth.
Image of the fulgurite, also called "fossilized lightning", that was examined for this study. (Credit: Matthew Pasek/University of South Florida)
Dr. Matthew Pasek, lead author of the study, with the fulgurite. (Credit: Matthew Pasek/University of South Florida)
“We have never seen this material occur naturally on Earth – minerals similar to it can be found in meteorites and space, but we've never seen this exact material anywhere,” said Dr. Matthew Pasek, who is a professor in the School of Geosciences at the University of South Florida (USF), and a co-author on the study.
For the study, the researchers described the unique chemical reactions that are caused by lightning and can result in the production of new materials, specifically one that is in between materials found in space and on Earth.
“When lightning strikes a tree, the ground typically explodes out and the surrounding grass dies, forming a scar and sending electric discharge through nearby rock, soil and sand, forming fulgurites, also known as ‘fossilized lightning’,” said Dr. Pasek.
The fulgurite was found by homeowners in New Port Richey and later sold it to Dr. Pasek, who then contacted a colleague at the University of Florence in Italy to investigate high-energy phenomena, specifically unusual minerals that contain the element phosphorus.
“It’s important to understand how much energy lightning has because then we know how much damage a lightning strike can cause on average and how dangerous it is,” said Dr. Pasek. “Florida is the lightning capital of the world and lightning safety is important – if lightning is strong enough to melt rock, it can certainly melt people too.”
According to the researchers, when the lightning struck the tree in New Port Richey, it caused a combustion reaction with both the carbon and iron in the tree it struck, which created the fulgurite, along with a never before discovered crystal-like, colorful matter.
Dr. Tian Feng, who is a research assistant at USF and a co-author on the study, unsuccessfully duplicated the material in the lab, which indicates a rapid creation of the material under specific conditions. The team also discovered if the material is heated for too long, it becomes the same material discovered in meteorites, which makes this new material unique as it acts as a transition between meteorites and Earth-based materials.
“Previous researchers indicate that lightning reduction of phosphate to have been a widespread phenomenon on the early Earth,” said Dr. Feng. “However, there is an environmental phosphite reservoir issue in Earth that these solid phosphite materials are hard to restore.”
Going forward, the team plans to try and get the new material designated as a mineral while informing the scientific community about it.
What new discoveries will scientists make about new materials in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!
Sources: Communications Earth & Environment, EurekAlert!
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