questions about thunderstorms..^^?

Question

WHAt would you do if:

1. You're caught in the middle of open field during a thunderstorm? (with no where to hide) WHY?

2. You're caught in a thunderstorm would you run into the forest or into the open field? WHY?

Thanks guys! I need the answers tonight ^^ God BLEss^^

Answer 1

If I were caught in an open field in a thunderstorm, realistically I would run to the nearest shelter. If I couldn't do that, I would look for a shallow depression, (not a gully or riverbed), and lay in that as lightening usually strikes the highest object. I would try not to be the highest object in an open field.

Between a field and a forest, again realistically, I would choose the forest. You can always find a felled tree or clump of bushes to use as a cover that's surrounded by higher trees so that lightening would probably hit them before it would you. The felled tree or bushes would afford you some protection against the elements.

Answer 2

1. In an open field, you wanna lie as low as possible, as not to give lightning a better chance to strike you. The best bet is to actually lie down, but crouching will work most of the time. This is because lightning will always try to find the shortes possible path from the cloud to the ground. Furthermore, charges tend to accumulate on the human body. If you stand, the charges are concentrated on your head, and a larger charge attracts lightning better.

If you stand up, you will act as a lighning rod in the middle of the field. Getting low makes youless likely to be struck.

2. It would really depend on the kind of forest. If the forest is a small one with trees of different heights, you would want to go to the open field. Again, this is because of the "shortest path" and "charge concentration "concepts that makes you a lightning rod in an open field.

In this case, the trees are more likely to be struck by lightning than you on the field. So, the different tree heights would make it very dangerous since they will not be able to support the tree that falls when struck. So not only are you in danger of getting indirectly struck by lightning, but you may be hit by the tree or any bits of it flying around.

So, better stay on the field. Just remember not to go too far.

Answer 3

When lightning strikes the ground it dissapates in all directions and sets up instantaneous voltage differences from perhaps 6,000 volts at the center to zero at infinity (or at a reasonable distance away from the strike) depending on moisture in the ground. A direct strike on you is not required to cause injury. If you are within the circle near the strike the voltage differential can cause electricity to pass up the nearest contact you make with the ground and out the farthest contact point relative to the strike. Therefore, if you lay on the ground it could pass up your feet and out your head. If you crouch in a depression it may pass up your toes and out your heels (bypassing your heart and brain). A man was standing beside his cow in a thunderstorm when lightning struck nearby. The man survived (electricity flowed up his toes and down his heels) while the cow died (electricity flowed up the front hooves and down the rear hooves). The actual voltage depended on the length of the path (on the ground) because of the voltage differential. As an example if 6,000 volts dissapated within 100 feet the differential would be 6,000/100 = 60 volts per foot. The man's one "foot" path receives about 60 volts but the cow's 5 foot long path receives 5 x 60 = 300 volts (a big difference). Laying on the ground a six foot man could receive 6 x 60 = 360 volts if on a radii from the strike and less if at any other angle.

Lightning can strike a tree and bounce through the air and through any nearby object providing a path. People are often killed huddling under a tall tree. Also the electricity dissapates in a circle in the ground as in the field. The tallest tree immediately under the strike will likely take the strike and pass it to earth. So never stand directly under a tree. I would rather take my chances crouched in a space or clearing between trees and away from the tallest tree. I would prefer the options of a forest to those of an open field where I might be the tallest object.

A lightning arrester (on a house or barn?) provides protection from strikes anywhere within a cone surrounding the tip of the arrestor at a 45 degree angle down to the ground. I would prefer to be within such a cone near a tall tree but well away from the trunk of the tree. BTW I have to take down a huge tri-trunk tree on my front lawn because each trunk was damaged by a single lightning strike. Carpenter ants and woodpeckers have attacked the trunks where they lost bark. Better that tree than me!