Occurrences of rock-fulgurites associated with steel pylons of the overhead electric transmission line at Tor Zawar, Ziarat District and Jang Tor Ghar, Muslim Bagh, Pakistan

Authors : Akhtar Muhammad Kassi, Aimal Khan Kasi, Henrik Friis, Din Muhammad Kakar

Pages : 1010-1019

Doi:10.3906/vet-1307-19

View : 25 | Download : 11

Publication Date : 9999-12-31

Article Type : Makaleler

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