I have heard about this recently and I am wondering if lightning can travel
260 feet through the ground without some sort of conducting material? I have
never really even heard of something like this.I know how electricity
behaves according to ohms law, etc. and according to those Laws it isn't
possible due to the high resistance of the earth (at least not going into
the earth that far).

Besides, electrical item are "earth-grounded" in order to pass a lightning
surge safely to ground in order to dissipate its effects.

The little I know about lightning is the fact that it will strike the
tallest object around because it is closer to the cloud and the path of
least resistance ,like say, a tree. One theory that I have heard is that
lightning actually originates at the ground level and travel upward to the
cloud. a highly negative tree passed over by a highly positively charged
cloud. and the lightning jump from negative tree to positive cloud.

I really don't know that much about the physics of meteorology. So let me
have some opinions on this and let me know if I am in error.



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Consider some camper sleeping near a lightning struck tree. Those
sleeping tangent to tree were unaffected. Those sleeping pointed at
that tree required medical treatment. To understand this, first return
to what electricity is.

Lightning creates an electrical path from charges inside a cloud to
charges maybe 5 miles distant on earth. Will lightninig conduct 5
miles diagonally to earthborne charges? Of course not. An
electrically shorter path is 3 miles down and 4 miles horizontal
through earth.

Where electricity found campers sleeping pointed to the tree, that
electrically shorter path was into a body via feet and back to earth
via head. This explains why some campers were harmed and others were
not. That camping example is also why four legged animals are at
higher risk when lightning strikes a nearby tree.

So what happens in WV? Geology is why CG lightning (per
thunderstorm) is highest in WV. Specualation says lightning will
strike more conductive (upturned) geology formations which acts like a
ground rod - dissipate charges deep into the earth to make more
conductive paths to those distant earthborne charges.

Let's say a mine has conductive pipes in contact with that more
conductive geology. So now an excellent path is down to that mine,
then miles horizontal via pipes to where earthborne charges are
located.

Meanwhile, lightning does not strike a highest object. Lightning
strikes the best conducting path to distant charges. Often this more
conductive geology is on the side of a mountain (not top) or down in a
valley between two mountains. In cases such as the World Trade Center
and Empire State Building, a better conductive path is at building's
top which explains why they suffered 40 and 25 direct strikes per year.

Lacy wrote:
I have heard about this recently and I am wondering if lightning can travel
260 feet through the ground without some sort of conducting material? I have
never really even heard of something like this.I know how electricity
behaves according to ohms law, etc. and according to those Laws it isn't
possible due to the high resistance of the earth (at least not going into
the earth that far).

Besides, electrical item are "earth-grounded" in order to pass a lightning
surge safely to ground in order to dissipate its effects.

The little I know about lightning is the fact that it will strike the
tallest object around because it is closer to the cloud and the path of
least resistance ,like say, a tree. One theory that I have heard is that
lightning actually originates at the ground level and travel upward to the
cloud. a highly negative tree passed over by a highly positively charged
cloud. and the lightning jump from negative tree to positive cloud.

I really don't know that much about the physics of meteorology. So let me
have some opinions on this and let me know if I am in error.

Thanks for your explaination. I will digest it and chew on it as part of my
ongoing research into this. I need more information about the subject of
lightning to study, do you possibly know of a website where I can find more
information? I would prefer something that is suited for a beginner in this
subject.




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On Fri, 6 Jan 2006 17:58:53 -0500,
Lacy , in
wrote:

+ behaves according to ohms law, etc. and according to those Laws it isn't
+ possible due to the high resistance of the earth (at least not going into
+ the earth that far).

Just like the high resistance of air? ;-)

James
--
Consulting Minister for Consultants, DNRC
I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow
isn't looking good, either.
I am BOFH. Resistance is futile. Your network will be assimilated.

Big question here ---

THROUGH the ground (as in downward) -- or ALONG the ground (as in partial
contact with air drawn away from the initial "target").

In a vertical sense, lightning cannot penetrate more than a foot or two deep
into the earth's surface. This can be observed in "Fulgurites" which is a
form of instantaneous glass making when lightning strikes sand.

Remember, Lightning will always take the path of least resistance. The earth
is indeed both highly resistant and a very poor conductor below the
accumulated charge at the earth's surface during a thunderstorm. As a
result, lightning will disspate outwards along the earth's surface versus
downard. The same concept applies on water.



"Lacy" wrote in message
...
I have heard about this recently and I am wondering if lightning can travel
260 feet through the ground without some sort of conducting material? I
have never really even heard of something like this.I know how electricity
behaves according to ohms law, etc. and according to those Laws it isn't
possible due to the high resistance of the earth (at least not going into
the earth that far).

Besides, electrical item are "earth-grounded" in order to pass a lightning
surge safely to ground in order to dissipate its effects.

The little I know about lightning is the fact that it will strike the
tallest object around because it is closer to the cloud and the path of
least resistance ,like say, a tree. One theory that I have heard is that
lightning actually originates at the ground level and travel upward to the
cloud. a highly negative tree passed over by a highly positively charged
cloud. and the lightning jump from negative tree to positive cloud.

I really don't know that much about the physics of meteorology. So let me
have some opinions on this and let me know if I am in error.


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What perspective are you limiting your study to? Electrical
characteristics of the discharge? Construction of a plasma path?
Destructive effects to biologoicals? RF characteristics? Electronic
hardware damage? A widely promoted scam called ESE? It is a large
topic. First appreciate the limits of your study. Maybe start with
"The Feynman lectures on physics." that introduce the concept.

Lacy wrote:
Thanks for your explaination. I will digest it and chew on it as part of my
ongoing research into this. I need more information about the subject of
lightning to study, do you possibly know of a website where I can find more
information? I would prefer something that is suited for a beginner in this
subject.