Some recent studies have suggested that the phenomenon of Rock Melt Extrusion (RME) observed in the southern part of Peninsular India could be considered as evidence of volcanism. This suggestion raised major concern for the safety of the southernmost nuclear power plant of India located at Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu. As per IAEA guidelines for siting a nuclear facility, the behaviour of volcanic activity, if identified, needs to be considered for an area of 100 km radius. Hence an investigation was carried out to understand the genesis of the RME phenomena in this region. Review of earlier studies indicates that no volcanic rock younger than Deccan Trap volcanism (70–63 Ma) has been reported in the area and also that the area is undergoing compression in the present tectonic set-up. The physical observations support the suggestion that the RME phenomena has resulted from lightning and electrical discharge. For further ascertaining the characteristics of the RME, detailed analyses were carried out on the RME samples. Petrographical observations on the RME samples from Abhishekapatti suggest instant melting and consolidation in soil where bigger grains of quartz were not melted. Geochemical analysis of different portions of RME and the surrounding soil suggests that there is no variation between the two and both are of comparable compositions. The results suggest that the melt was produced instantaneously and has resulted from the superficial melting of soil. The purpose of this article is to make the public aware that the reported incidence of RME in Southern Peninsular India has nothing to do with volcanic activity and is related to lightning and electrical discharge.

最近的一些研究表明，在印度半岛南部观察到的熔岩挤出现象（RME）可以看作是火山作用的证据。这一建议引起了对印度最南端位于泰米尔纳德邦库丹库拉姆的核电站安全的关注。根据国际原子能机构关于核设施选址的指南，如果确定了半径为100 km的区域，则应考虑火山活动的行为。因此，进行了一项调查，以了解该地区RME现象的成因。对较早研究的回顾表明，该地区没有比Deccan Trap火山作用年轻的火山岩（70-63 Ma），而且在目前的构造构造中该地区正在经历压缩。物理观察结果表明，RME现象是由闪电和放电引起的。为了进一步确定RME的特性，对RME样品进行了详细的分析。对Abhishekapatti的RME样品进行的岩相学观察表明，在没有融化较大石英颗粒的土壤中，其会立即熔化并固结。对RME和周围土壤不同部分的地球化学分析表明，两者之间没有变化，并且两者具有可比的组成。结果表明，熔体是瞬间产生的，并且是土壤表层熔解的结果。