I was wondering if water is a conductor...and they always tell you to get out of the water when lightning is in the area....then how come the fish and the wildlife in the ocen are not affected by the lightning? Or are they? You just don't see them dying or being struck by the lightning. I was just wondering what it is or how they are not affected.
2006-10-20 06:56:34 · 7 answers · asked by candy b 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
Lightning stays mostly on the surface of the water rather than penetrating it because water is a reasonably good conductor, and a good conductor keeps most of the current on the surface. So, when lightning hits the water, the electrical current crosses the surface in all directions. If you're swimming anywhere in the vicinity, it'll probably hit you. But below the surface, most of the electricity is instantly neutralized. So fish are mostly spared. Some electricity does penetrate the water directly below the strike point, fish there or a fish near the very surface at the wrong moment might get fried.
2006-10-20 07:15:54 · answer #1 · answered by Answergirl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can answer the first part of question. The first fact is that water is a better conductor of electromagnetic waves (and therefore lightening) as well as heat as compared with the land. But what is more important is that water has a very high permittivity, which makes it store a lot of electric energy on impact of such an impulse and then release it slowly to the earth(ground) or any other means it can find.
The second part of question, about the sea life, I expect minimal effect on sea life that is not connected to ground - and therefore does not provide an easier path for discharging the electrical energy stored in it. But it will also depend on the electrical properties of the animal. I think the second part can be better illuminated by zoological data of observations.
2006-10-20 14:11:25 · answer #2 · answered by krishna a 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Fish near the surface and floating seabirds, etc. can be effected if the lightning strikes within about 100 feet.
Aloha
2006-10-20 14:23:33 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
YES water conducts electricity! The ocean is so big the charge is absorbed and dissipates instantly. only sea life in the near vicinity of the strike are affected.
2006-10-20 14:11:17 · answer #4 · answered by kennyboy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I've been curious about this question too, it seems like the ocean would have a lot of dead fish because there are a lot of storms at sea.
2006-10-20 14:04:37 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Fish go the deepest they can ..Some do get fried because of not going deep enough or got fried trying to get there.
2006-10-20 16:13:07 · answer #6 · answered by StarShine G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
nice question!!!!!!!
current strikes whenever there is proper earthing .which is absent
in the case of aquatic life.
sea water is an excellent current conductor due to the presence of mobile ions.
2006-10-20 14:14:33 · answer #7 · answered by K R 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋