Lightning may have sparked start of life
Monday, July 13, 2009 - 19:35
in Astronomy & Space
Earth is under fire from a constant barrage of electricity: on average, lightning hits the planet's surface 44 times per second, leaving glassy veins of melted sand and soil called fulgurites scattered across the globe. According to a new study, the deposits are also full of rare forms of phosphorous that may have been crucial in getting life started billions of years ago.