Commonly called “fossilized lightning”, Fulgurite is a physical snapshot of a lightning strike as it strikes the earth, “fossilizing” the lightning much quicker than dinosaur bones. Sand Fulgurites, like this one, are branching cylindrical tubes that typically don’t get very long due to their fragility. Fulgurites longer than a few centimeters are very uncommon. Damp sand conducts electricity, so when lightning strikes the ground, the intense heat from the lightning fuses the sand grains together in delicate, glassy tubes, as seen in this specimen.

This specimen is from the Saharan Desert, a unique find. Studying the gas bubbles sometimes found in the Fulgurites show the trapped organic matter came from grasses and shrubs that could not survive in the Sahara’s current hot and arid climate. Scientists can use thermoluminescence, a process which heats an object up in order for it to produce light, to determine how long ago the object was last heated. Several Fulgurites from the Sahara date back to roughly 15,000 years ago, when the climate was more hospitable to plant life.

This Sand Fulgurite is an impressive 20 inches long, and approximately 2 inches in diameter. It sits on a reflective metal stand is approximately a maximum height of 11 inches. Due to the size and fragility of the Fulgurite, it is Pick-Up Only from HMNS-Hermann Park. Local Delivery is available to the Greater Houston area.