# Abrahamson 2000: Ball lightning caused by oxidation of nanoparticle networks from normal lightning strikes on soil

> John Abrahamson, James Dinniss, 2000. 5 records on Mysteries Department cite it. The vaporised-silicon model, the main conventional mechanism.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D409WEW7T5H/ball-lightning-caused-by-oxidation-of-nanoparticle-networks  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
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# Ball lightning caused by oxidation of nanoparticle networks from normal lightning strikes on soil

John Abrahamson, James Dinniss, 2000. _Nature 403, 519–521_.

Proposes that a lightning strike on soil vaporises silica, that carbon in the soil reduces it to silicon vapour, and that the vapour condenses into networks of nanoparticles that glow as they slowly oxidise in air.

**Ball lightning** Articledoi: **[10.1038/35000525](https://doi.org/10.1038/35000525)** Checked against the original0

## What it's used for here

The vaporised-silicon model, the main conventional mechanism.

## Cited by on this site 5 records

[Lightning vaporises soil silica; silicon nanoparticle networks glow as they slowly oxidise.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/ball-lightning/answers/ANS0D40A8XA3AZP/lightning-vaporises-soil-silica-silicon-nanoparticle)

Answer

ANS

[Abrahamson and Dinniss propose the vaporised-silicon model](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/ball-lightning/events/EVT0D40A39M4DC9/abrahamson-and-dinniss-propose-the-vaporised-silicon-model)

EVT

[John Abrahamson](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/ball-lightning/people/FIG0D40A22J7KTP/john-abrahamson)

FIG

[Ball lightning](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/ball-lightning)

The mystery article

MYS

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

Question

QST

## Cite it

```
Abrahamson, J., & Dinniss, J. (2000). Ball lightning caused by oxidation of nanoparticle networks from normal lightning strikes on soil. Nature 403, 519–521. https://doi.org/10.1038/35000525
```

[Find it at doi.org](https://doi.org/10.1038/35000525)

Key

**SRC** 0D409WEW7T5H

Kind

Journal article

Rights

The publisher's

Kept

27 Oct 2026, for editors

Checked

Against the published article

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[apollo](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)

The record

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