noun
- a glassy tube or irregular mass formed in sand or soil when lightning strikes the ground
Usage: geology; also called a lightning tube
Examples
- The geologist discovered a fulgurite buried in the sand after the lightning storm.
- Fulgurites are created when the intense heat of a lightning bolt melts silica in the ground.
- Collectors search beaches and deserts for fulgurites as natural curiosities.
- The fulgurite's glassy texture is evidence of the extreme temperatures reached during the lightning strike.
- Scientists study fulgurites to better understand lightning behavior and its effects on soil composition.