•  
  •  
 

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

DOI

10.3906/yer-1207-6

Abstract

We here report 3 occurrences of rock fulgurites: 2 at Tor Zawar, Ziarat District, and 1 at Jang Tor Ghar, Muslim Bagh, Pakistan. The first and second melting events occurred at Tor Zawar, Ziarat on 27 January 2010, and sometime during the month of January 2011; the third melting event occurred on 12 February 2011. All these events occurred near the base of steel pylons of electric transmission lines installed on hillside outcrops, which transmitted atmospheric lightning to the outcrop. At Tor Zawar, Ziarat District, the pylons are installed on outcrops of the volcanogenic conglomerate of the Late Cretaceous Bibai Formation, whereas, in the Jang Tor Ghar, Muslim Bagh, they are constructed on alluvium mostly comprising ultramafic fragments of the Muslim Bagh Ophiolites. The lightning strikes transmitted enough energy to partially melt the outcrops near the bases of the steel pylons. The melt solidified to produce light brown to black vesicular basaltic glass that is partly devitrified.

Keywords

Rock fulgurites, extrusion, flow structures, basaltic and ultramafic host rock

First Page

1010

Last Page

1019

Download

Share

COinS