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The Blogging From A to Z April Challenge: F is for Fulgurite

Friday, 6 April 2012

My posts in the The Blogging From A to Z April Challenge are all about interesting words. Words that are weird, intriguing, poetic or just plain cool.




F is for Fulgurite

A fulgurite is a hollow, glass tube formed in the ground when lightning strikes sand or soil. The 1800°C+ tempreatures of the lightning melts grains of silica or quartz and leaves behind a frozen impression of the vast electrical discharge. Because of this, fulgurites are sometimes referred to as petrified lightning. The longest one ever found was nearly 5 metres long ...

The word comes from the Latin fulgur meaning, simply, thunderbolt.



Archaeopteryx Blunderbuss Chthonic Dreadnought Entropy Fulgurite

Posted by Simon Kewin at 08:00

20 comments:

  1. Anonymous6 April 2012 at 08:39

    Never heard of it. Love it!
    Many thanks for introducing me.

    Lynne
    Twitter: @LynneinPborough

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  2. Madeline Mora-Summonte6 April 2012 at 14:15

    I just love the idea of "petrified lightning." It would make a great title for a poem or story. :)

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  3. Simon Kewin6 April 2012 at 15:32

    Lynne - You're most welcome! Thanks for dropping by.

    Madeline - I agree. In fact if I ever start a poetry journal I'd consider Fulgurites or Petrified Lightning for a name.

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  4. Tracy Moore6 April 2012 at 17:17

    That's amazing...petrified lightning. This term is definitely getting filed in my list of words for future use. Great post!

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  5. Matthew MacNish6 April 2012 at 18:16

    They have some examples of these on display at the Boston Museum of Science. Part awesome, part terrifying.

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  6. Liz Brownlee6 April 2012 at 19:11

    You found one? WOW! love to see a picture. How interesting this is.

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  7. Susan Kane6 April 2012 at 19:40

    Excellent word, love the way it sounds and its meaning. Thanks!

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  8. Anonymous6 April 2012 at 22:37

    awesome.

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  9. Nicole6 April 2012 at 23:29

    Wow - never heard of it, but I know what they're talking about. The idea of "petrified lightning" is brilliant!

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  10. Jocelyn Rish6 April 2012 at 23:56

    I've never actually seen one of these, but I've always loved the thought of them. Nature is cool!

    Wishing you continued success with the A to Z challenge,
    Jocelyn

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  11. stu6 April 2012 at 23:58

    One of those things that it seems good to know exists, even if I can't see the knowledge coming in use in the near future.

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  12. Janyce7 April 2012 at 01:01

    Fascinating! I've never seen Petrified Lightning. Now I must go on a search to find pictures. Very exciting!

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  13. Simon Kewin7 April 2012 at 02:58

    Tracy - hope it comes in useful some day!

    Matthew - I'd like to see them some day. I think I was there a couple of years back.

    Liz - Never seen one; must be incredible to find one.

    Susan/rhi - Thanks!

    Nicole - Agreed. It's a nice image isn't it?

    Jocelyn - Agreed. We writers have to go some to out-imagine nature.

    Stu - Maybe it will come up in a quiz and you'll be able to dazzle your friends?

    Janyce - Thanks; they are cool I agree.

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  14. Monica7 April 2012 at 03:31

    Wow, I have never heard of this...wouldn't it be interesting to see!!
    Hope you're enjoying the challenge,
    Monica, Older Mommy Still Yummy

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  15. Simon Kewin7 April 2012 at 03:50

    Monica - Agreed! I am enjoying it although my head is spinning a little. Hope you are too.

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  16. Unknown7 April 2012 at 05:48

    That would be a cool find, much better than the trash I usually find in the sand. Your posts are so much better than the word of the day I follow at work. Happy Easter and happy blogging!

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  17. Simon Kewin7 April 2012 at 15:10

    Michael - Thanks and Happy Easter to you, too.

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  18. Hilary Melton-Butcher7 April 2012 at 15:34

    HI Simon .. fascinating - I'd never heard of that before ... but makes sense - though I'm glad not to be near the strike.

    Cheers Hilary

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  19. Anonymous9 April 2012 at 05:45

    Now that is a cool word to know...if only I could find one now!!

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  20. Perle13 April 2012 at 03:32

    Love new words. Thanks for this one.

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I'd love to know what you think.