Penn Minerals! - Classic Minerals and More from Pennsylvania
Description: The Rebersburg Fulgurite was discovered in Rebersburg, Miles Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania. This is the largest fulgurite ever discovered in Pennsylvania. Its historical value is without question.
lighting (5247) glass (3687) iron (717) massive (79) obsidian (49) nodules (9) fulgurite (3) silicide (2) rebersburg (1) exogenic (1)
The Rebersburg Fulgurite was discovered near Rebersburg, Miles Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania in November 2015. The result of a massive lightning strike, the fulgurite formed what can only be described as an obsidian tree, wide at the base with a diminishing diameter farther from the initial strike, with bifurcating branches along the main trunk. It extended approximately 16 feet in length, with at least five branches, each up to 4 feet long. The base of the fulgurite trunk is over聽eight聽inches in di
Geochemical analysis of fulgurite glass, soil, and gravel fragments was performed at Lock Haven University using a Tescan scanning electron microscope (SEM) with an Oxford Instruments Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDX) Spectrometer. 聽Geochemical analysis of metallic nodules and rock samples was performed at the West Chester University Center for Microanalysis and Imaging Research and Training (CMIRT) using an FEI Quanta 400 environmental scanning electron microscope and an Oxford Instruments AZtec X-Ray Energy D
Special thanks is extended to Samuel Weaver who brought this discovery to the world; Ronald A. Sloto, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, West Chester University, West Chester, Pennsylvania; Dr. Loretta Dickson, Department of Geology and Physics, Lock Haven University, Lock Haven, Pennsylvania; and John S. White, Past Curator of Gems and Minerals, National Museum at the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, DC.
Penn Minerals! - Classic Minerals and More from Pennsylvania