in New study Published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, researchers from the University of South Florida have revealed a new type of phosphorous material not previously discovered on Earth, which could represent an entirely new mineral group that links space minerals with minerals on Earth. the earth.
A rare mineral with special conditions for its production
According a report Posted in Science Alert, researchers have found a substance that closely matches calcium phosphate CaHPO3 inside a fulgurite, a mineral ball formed by the reaction of a lightning strike with The sand is under very high temperature conditions, and fulgurites often form when lightning strikes certain types of sand, silica, and rock.
“We’ve never seen this material form naturally anywhere on Earth, but minerals similar to it can be found in meteorites and space,” says geologist Matthew Pasek of the University of South Florida.
In their paper, the researchers explained that the lightning bolt caused carbon combustion in a tree on the west coast of Florida, in addition to the iron that had accumulated around its roots.
This type of calcium phosphate can be formed in other high-energy scenarios, and it may play an important role in the movement of the phosphorus element around the Earth, in addition to that the results may also be important in terms of the early periods in the history of our planet, as these types of Lightning strikes and chemical reactions occur regularly on our planet.
Attempts to reconstitute calcium phosphate in the laboratory have not been successful, which indicates that very specific conditions and timings are required to produce this rare mineral, and we may have to wait for another lightning bolt to see it again.
Lightning energy and a new type of lightning phosphor
“Previous researchers indicate that lightning’s relationship with phosphates was a widespread phenomenon on Earth at an early age,” says geologist Tian Feng of the University of South Florida.
“There is a problem with the environmental phosphate reservoirs in the ground, which makes it difficult to recover these solid phosphate materials,” he added.
This ‘problem’ means that we cannot explain the biological and chemical processes that phosphate is a part of, even though we know they occur, but that depend on phosphate stores that have not yet been discovered.
The emergence of this new phosphorus material can help scientists understand more about how phosphorus is converted into other states through chemical reactions by gaining electrons at different levels of temperatures.
The research also provides more information about the shape and strength of the lightning itself, which can produce materials of particular interest to scientists.
Pasek has stated in Press release Which was published on the official website of the University of South Florida that “it is important to understand the amount of energy that lightning possesses, because then we will know how much damage a lightning strike can cause and how dangerous it is.”
He added, “Florida is considered the lightning capital of the world, so safety from lightning is important. If lightning is strong enough to melt rocks, it can certainly melt people as well.”
According Press releasePasek believes that this substance is unlikely to be mined for uses similar to other phosphate uses such as fertilizers, due to its rarity in naturally occurring, however, Pasek plans further research, to determine whether it can be officially declared as a mineral and to provide additional information about it. to the scientific community.
