If lightning strikes on the beach (sand), can it make glass?

Incredibly, lightning can and does in fact create something amazing when it hits sand, but the conditions have to be perfect. When it hits a sandy beach high in silica or quartz and the temperature goes beyond 1800 degrees Celsius, the lighting can fuse the sand into silica glass. read more

And it doesn’t even require lightning! A few years ago a high-voltage power line snapped and dropped onto the ground where I live (an island of sand) and produced the same thing as shown in Mr. Wood’s picture. read more

When lightning strikes, the bolt of extreme heat melts the sand and instantaneously forms a twisted, branching piece of clear, shining glass. While it is true that lightning can and does melt sand to form glass sculptures that resemble tree branches, the movie’s portrayal of how this happens is not accurate. read more