Glass Spheres Forged by Volcanic Lightning Offer Clues about Eruptions
Scientists have developed a safe and cost-effective way to study what happens inside volcanoes
By Dave Berndtson, PBS NewsHour on May 22, 2017
Studying volcanic eruptions in person can be dangerous, and scientists have died trying. Volcanic lightning—yes, volcanoes make lightning!—by contrast offers a safer opportunity to examine what happens inside a volcano. But these bright bolts still occur in vicious environments, plus the thick, dense plumes of ash can obscure lightning strikes.
Now, scientists have developed a way to analyze volcanic lightning that is cost effective, relatively simple and safe. Rather than get near volcanic lightning or use expensive equipment, researchers at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in Germany gain clues through a byproduct of the lightning: glass.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/glass-spheres-forged-by-volcanic-lightning-offer-clues-about-eruptions/
