Abstract
The mineralogical and chemical characteristics of fulgurites (= natural glasses formed by lightning strikes to the ground) from the southern Central Sahara (Niger) are presented. The fulgurites are indicators of thunderstorms. The northernmost important fulgurite formation in the study area reached up to about 18°N, with decreasing fulgurite concentration from south to north. Their distribution pattern and the relative dating of their formation in relation to landscape history from the Late Pleistocene onwards (e.g., palaeolakes, palaeosols), and to Neolithic settlement reveals their value as palaeoenvironmental indicators. They indicate: (1) local palaeoenvironmental conditions depending on the topographical situation in a complex dune relief; (2) climatic change during the mid-Holocene from northerly rains to southerly rains; and (3) the northernmost limit of important thunderstorms and rainfall activity since this time in the southern Central Sahara.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
