# A chemically sustained plasmoid formed by a discharge into a wet or mineral surface.

> Still possible: A chemically sustained plasmoid formed by a discharge into a wet or mineral surface.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/ball-lightning/answers/ANS0D40AAVT67P7/a-chemically-sustained-plasmoid-formed-by-a-discharge-into-a  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[Ball lightning](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/ball-lightning)[What forms and powers ball lightning?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/ball-lightning/questions/QST0D40A5FY652V/what-forms-and-powers-ball-lightning)Answer

Answer · Ball lightning

# A chemically sustained plasmoid formed by a discharge into a wet or mineral surface.

A chemically sustained plasmoid formed by a discharge into a wet or mineral surface.

**Still possible** Answers **1** questionPublished0

## Where it stands

**Still possible** Its tests haven't settled it: one piece of evidence for, one against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- Molecular band emission (such as CaOH) and electric double layers.

## What would rule it out

- Spectra of natural balls lacking the predicted molecular bands.

## Evidence 1 for · 1 against

[Water-discharge plasmoids last hundreds of milliseconds and emit mainly CaOH bands.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/ball-lightning/evidence/EVD0D40AB3M2EZ1/water-discharge-plasmoids-last-hundreds-of-milliseconds-and)

Suggestive

FOR

[The laboratory plasmoids live well under a second, shorter than most reports.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/ball-lightning/evidence/EVD0D40ABBE4WYK/the-laboratory-plasmoids-live-well-under-a-second-shorter)

Suggestive

AGAINST

## The questions it answers

[What forms and powers ball lightning?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/ball-lightning/questions/QST0D40A5FY652V/what-forms-and-powers-ball-lightning)

Most likelyLightning vaporises soil silica; silicon nanoparticle networks glow as they slowly oxidise

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). A chemically sustained plasmoid formed by a discharge into a wet or mineral surface. [Answer ANS0D40AAVT67P7]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0D40AAVT67P7
```

Key

**ANS** 0D40AAVT67P7

Kind

Answer · hypothesis

Origin

Published

Version

1

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