The Process of Lightning and the Lightning Phenomenon - Essay Example

Lightning Lightning is one of the most stunning exhibits of nature. At the same time, it is very harmful for men. Its temperature is sizzling even more than sun and its shockwaves blaze out in all directions leaving baleful impacts on human beings over an elongated area. Primarily, we should understand the process of lightning so that we become aware of how it actually takes place (Adekoya & Nolte, pp. 45-50). There are small particles found in clouds called Hydrometeors. As they attain maturity, they start interacting with each other because of which they become charged. “Updrafts send the smaller positively charged particles upward and gravity pulls the bigger negatively charged particles downward. This results in clouds having their upper part positive charges and lower part negative charges” (Adekoya & Nolte, pp. 45-50). This partition of charges causes a large electric potential not only between clouds themselves but also between the clouds and the earth. This electrical potential sometimes contains magnitude of million voltages. Ultimately, the electrical battle in the air collapse and lightning, the electrical expulsion between the areas of the cloud or between the cloud and the earth, takes place (Adekoya & Nolte, pp. 45-50). A lightning strike can cause death several injuries to human beings. The method of injury is distinctive, and the demonstration differs from those of other electrical injuries. Lightning can injure people in many ways, such as it can impinge on a person directly or indirectly. It can cause heart damage or cardiac arrest; it is often responsible for causing temporary paralysis to the seriously injured people. Lightning may displace the bones or completely damage them; it sometimes creates skull fractures and cervical spine injuries. Lungs might be damaged which creates difficulty in breathing. It causes eye injuries which results in visual problems. It has been a notice by the experts that lightning causes more incidents in America annually than any other natural calamities. Thousands of lightning occurs every year and according to a data an average of “82 persons die each year from 1995 to 2000 three out of every four lightning deaths from the South and Midwest of America and one out of every four deaths was work-related i.e. from farming and construction works” (Adekoya & Nolte, pp. 45-50). Many people are injured and many are killed due to lack of information or slapdash behavior during thunderstorm. Although there can be no absolute protection from lightning but experts have mentioned certain security measures that can reduce the possibility of being injured or killed due to lightning. Firstly, people should stay at safe places during thunderstorm. However there are no entirely safe places, but some places are safer than others are (Renner, pp. 23-39). Large and enclosed structures are considered as more appropriate to stay at than smaller and open structures. The danger for lightning injury depends on the structure having a feature of lightning protection, materials used in its construction and size of the structure. Generally, completely enclosed metal automobiles such as trucks, cars, vans, etc (Adekoya & Nolte, pp. 45-50), with the windows turned up give good protection from lightning. One should avoid touching metal or conducting surfaces inside or the vehicle. Secondly, one should avoid going to high and open places, remote trees, defenseless gazebos, picnic points, baseball bunkers, connections towers, flagstaff, light pole, metal and wood benches, farm carts, and water related places such as oceans, seas, swimming pools, and rivers. One should stay away from using telephone, taking bathe, washing hands and dishes. Moreover, one may avoid contact with metal doors and windows, wiring cables of telephone, and television. If individuals can observe lightning and hear noise of thunder, they are already at threat. Noisy or repeated thunder shows that lightning activity is imminent and it is increasing damage or death. If the time holdup between watching the spark of lightning and hearing the thump of thunder is less than 30 seconds (Renner, pp. 41-47), then the person should seek a safer place. However, this method has “some limitations because one cannot associate the proper thunder to the corresponding flash” (Renner, pp. 41-47). High breeze, rainfall, and dim cover often act as forerunner to real cloud-to-ground thumps. These forerunners should prompt individuals to take actions and save themselves from dangers. Many lightning fatalities take place in the start, as the storm comes near, because people pay no attention to these forerunners. In addition, many lightning fatalities take place after the apparent danger has passed. Usually, the lightning risk reduces with time after the last jingle of thunder but may persevere for more than 30 minutes (Renner, pp. 58-66). When thunderstorms are in the area but not in the clouds, the lightning threat can be present even when it is sunny or when the sky is clear. Thirdly, when evacuation time is less than 10 minutes, all persons involved must know an action plan in advance. “Schoolteachers, camp supervisors, lifeguards, and other grown-ups must take duty for the security of children in their concern. Local weather anticipates, weather radio, or the weather channels should be supervised former to the outdoor happenings to make certain if thunderstorms are in the estimate” (Holle, Lopez & Zimmermann, pp. 2035-2041). Assign a responsible individual to observe forecasted weather as well as to observe on-site progress to keep everyone well versed when probable threats build up. Know that individual observation of lightning may not be adequate; extra information of lightning detection system and climate conditions may be required to ensure uniformity, accurateness, and strict advance warning. Although machinery and technology have proven to be helpful, they cannot promise safety. Machinery can be used to augment warning throughout the initial stages of the storm by detecting lightning pertinent to the area of concern (Holle, Lopez & Zimmermann, pp. 2035-2041). Advance announcement of the storm’s advent should be used to provide supplementary time to look for safety. Detectors are also a precious instrument to determine the “green light”, providing a time reference for safe recommencement of actions. A lightning strike is about to happen, if one’s skin shivers while getting goose bumps. One should put feet together and stoop down on them. Subsequently, one should lower head with hands on the knees. In addition, it is advisable to not touch hands or knees on the earth while bending oneself and getting as low as possible while not lying down at all. If one sees clouds, dark skies, and distant growls of thunder or flashes of lightning when one is swimming, boating, or fishing, it is advisable to go to land straight away and look for shelter. If one is in a boat and cannot get to shore, it is better to bend in the center of the boat. On the other hand, experts have indicated that if a person is on land, it is advisable to find a low spot away from “trees, metal fences, pipes, and long objects” (Renner, pp. 63-66). Lastly, “if one is in the woods, look for an area of shorter trees. Crouch down away from tree trunks” (Holle, Lopez & Zimmermann, pp. 2035-2041). “When bigger clusters are responsible for the safety, the time needed to evacuate an area increases” (Holle, Lopez & Zimmermann, pp. 2035-2041). As time necessity changes, the distance at which lightning is noticed and measured a risk to move into the area must increases. Expanding the array used to settle on risk potential also increases the possibility that a local cell or thunderstorm may not arrive at the area, giving the notion of a fake alarm. Lightning all the time generates and connects to a thundercloud but may affect many miles from the border of the thunderstorm cell. Adequate time of alert state has to be evenhanded with the risk caused by lightning. Taking responsibility for larger groups of people requires more cleverness and assiduousness to promise that all potentials are measured. When human resource managers designate a person to monitor the weather conditions to start the evacuation process when necessary, they must make sure that monitoring starts many days before the occurrence of lightning. Managers should make a team, which would notify all the persons at the risk of lightning. Team should have the responsibility of identifying safer place beforehand and arranging conveyance to reach these places (Holle, Lopez & Zimmermann, pp. 2035-2041). Even after identifying all the security measures, there is still a need of making multidisciplinary efforts to reduce the number of injuries to minimum and understand the lightning phenomenon in a more profound manner. Works Cited Adekoya, N. & Nolte, K. B. "Struck-by-Lightning Deaths in the United States." Journal of the Environmental Health. Volume 67, 2005, 45-50. Holle, R. L. Lopez, R. E., & Zimmermann, C. "Updated Recommendations for Lightning Safety-1998." Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. Volume 80, 1999, pp. 2035-2041. Renner, J. Lightning Strikes: Staying Safe under Stormy Skies. The Mountaineers Books. 2002. Read More