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My Research Report on Lightning.

Hi All. 
Today I've decided to publish my Research Report on Lightning. However, this is not the original report. The original one had been focused just on medical effects, so I would like to add some information about the Physics of Lightning, and Religious Significance of Lightning. Let's start.
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The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English defines lightning as “a powerful flash of light in the sky caused by electricity and usually followed by thunder”. 

 The Physics of Lightning 
The Physics of Lightning is quite complicated but may be simplified. Lightning is an electrical charge transferring from a positively charged object to a negatively charged object. An electric potential is created when the warm air low pressure is increased by the high air pressure. As a result, the bottom side of the cloud becomes negatively charged, strokes up, meets the ground, which remains as a positively charged object. Objects on the ground then send a positively charged stroke up, which meets a negatively charged downward directed stroke. A lightning strike current ranges from 100 million to 2 billion volts and about 200 000 ampere. In this case, the temperature of contact rises over 30 000 degrees Celsius, and the strike length from 1/100th to 1/1000th of a second. Due to a very short duration of exposure, lightning strikes induce minimum burn injuries (Mistovich, Joseph J., March 1, 2008).

 Statistics
Lightning is a common phenomenon in Canada. According to media reports, statistics, hospital admission and ER records, and fire department information, there are nine to ten lightning-related deaths and up to 164 lightning-related injuries every year in Canada (Mills, B., D. Unrau, C. 2009). Canadian research shows that there were 0.11 lightning-related fatalities per million population from 1999 – 2003 (Mills). Also, Ontario has the highest percentage of lightning-related fatalities and injuries in Canada (Mills).  Moreover, according to Canadian statistics, the majority of lighting-related deaths and injuries usually happen during the summer season from June to August (Mills). 
Analyzing this graph of lightning-related injuries and fatalities in terms of weekdays, we can see clearly that almost 55 per cent of all fatalities and over 70 per cent of all injuries from 1986-2005 happened from Thursday to Saturday. In these days people usually prefer outdoor activities.
Refer to the next graph, Canadian Lightning Fatalities and Injury Statistics has analyzed all cases and discovered that most victims are male, younger than forty five years old, and they are injured or killed while they have been involved in outdoor entertaining activities. 
Refer to the final graph, outdoor activities, such as camping, hiking, golfing, picnicking, boating, playing soccer and baseball, have provided more than 70 per cent of all fatalities and over 62 per cent of all injuries (Mills).

 Effects of Lightning on the Body

Research reports from Georgia, Italy, the Netherland, and study results of the Tufts-New England Medical Center, and the University of Washington Medicine Sleep Institute in Seattle show that this powerful and amazing astronomical phenomenon damages not only by direct strike but also with serious side effect on our health in a distance (Harvard Medical School, August 2010). In accordance with the article “Storm’s a-comin’”, a thunderstorm, which always follows a lightning strike, affects some people by increasing such health problems as asthma, arthritis, collapsed lungs and sleep apnea.
The first health problem associated with a thunderstorm is asthma (Harvard). It is backed up by analytics from Georgia that there is a direct connection between thunderstorms and an unexpected rise in complaints of patients with asthma (Harvard). According to Georgian investigators, during a storm the wind usually intensifies and raises dust and pollen. Electrical activity, associated with lightning and storms grinds pollen into smaller components, and then lowers them to the ground with the cold air flow. These microscopic particles of pollen can easily penetrate into the respiratory tract, thereby reinforcing symptoms of allergies and asthma. The second health problem associated with a thunderstorm is arthritis (Harvard). Contrary to the claims of many, scientists from the Tufts-New England Medical Center unmasked statements that arthritis symptoms increase with the dropping barometric pressure, which usually comes with a thunderstorm. Surprisingly, this problem also occurs with rising barometric pressure in good weather because the instability of the barometric pressure in the storm situation reinforces symptoms of arthritis. What is more, a thunderstorm that follows lightning can provoke collapsed lungs or pneumothorax. The opinions of scientists as to whether a storm can cause pneumothorax have been divided (Harvard). However, it is clear that all cases with pneumothorax have a common pattern. Specifically, they occur on days after a thunderstorm. According to the both, Dutch and Italian researchers, “asthma brought on by thunderstorms might cause pneumothorax. The humidity and wind of thunderstorms may also bring about changes in the lungs (mucus retention, bronchiolar spam, cough), that add up to make spontaneous pneumothoraxes more likely“. Eventually, a thunderstorm may cause sleep apnea, in which a person frequently stops breathing for a short period of time during sleep. However, a study of the University of Washington Medicine Sleep Institute in Seattle shows there is no a direct connection between a thunderstorm and sleep apnea (Harvard).  Yet it is clear that sleep apnea cases occur more often with falling barometric pressure, which is a common pattern of the bad weather, including storms. Therefore, with low atmospheric pressure the soft tissue in the back of the throat relaxes, thus blocking the flow of air and high atmospheric pressure holds this tissue open and makes better the flow of air (Harvard).

 Lightning Self-Protection.

While I was working in Ukraine as a Design Engineer I learned a lot about lightning and lightning protection systems. It is clear that there is no way to stop lightning, and due to its damaging effect, the protection system is one of the most important parts of the construction of buildings and other structures. Unfortunately, some people can’t protect themselves from the side effects of lightning and thunderstorms deal with their own particular health issues. However, knowing the basic rules of self-protection, we can avoid injuries from direct lightning strikes. The report by Drs. Gatewood Medley O’Keefe, and Zane, R.D.  “Lightning injuries”, mentions a few significant recommendations that could help people to avoid being struck by lightning. (Gatewood Medley O’Keefe, Zane, R.D. 2004. 369-403). The first recommendation is to find shelter in a bus or car. Such vehicles are equipped by the protection system. The next recommendation is to hide inside a big but not the tallest building in an area. Then to avoid open areas, and not stay under a single tree. These kinds of places may be attractive for lightning, so it is key to avoid them. Also, one should avoid taps and landline phones during a storm because plumbing and wires can carry current. The last recommendation is to seek shelter when the period of time between seeing lightning and hearing thunder is thirty seconds or less, and do not go out until thirty minutes after the last lightning is seen or thunder heard (Gatewood. 372,398, 399).  To sum up, following these simple rules can help all of us to avoid be struck by lightning.

 Religious Significance of Lightning.
Summer thunderstorms and lightning is the magnificent spectacle to which it is difficult to get used to. They make us admire them on the one hand, and on the other hand, we try to avoid them. It is common to say "Thank God" when nature calms down because lightning seems like an arrow shot from the bow of an angry God. Our mention of God in such a situation is deeply rooted in the human history. For millennia, lightning has played an essential role in people’s lives. It could kill and destroy, but it could warm and feed an ancient people as well. This powerful and amazing astronomical phenomenon full of mysteries and myths. The early American Indians, the Bantu of South Africa, and the Aborigines of Western Australia considered lightning as a bird or animal (Cooper MA, Andrews CJ, 1995). Magic men from those cultures believed that being able to manage the animal or bird gives the power to dispel storms and ask gods to provide water to their people or destroy enemies (Cooper MA, Andrews CJ, 1995). According to Greek legends, lightning was the main weapon of the King of the Gods, Zeus. People believed if Zeus had been disappointed by people, he would strike them down with struck lightning bolts for their punishment (Radford). Lightning is also mentioned in the Bible and in the Quran. Even though the Bible cites it more than the Quran does, both describe lightning as a vital phenomenon, and associate it with signs and warnings from God.

The feeling of power from lightning today

Even today, the sense of the power of lightning is still important for our culture. For instance, some modern religious leaders believe that natural disasters are divine punishment for the lawlessness of humanity and immorality (Radford). The mythical thunder-bird is used as a symbol of thunder quite often. For example, the second International Conference on Lightning and Static Electricity in Oklahoma, 1988, used it as its logo. Also, the name of the thunder-bird has been chosen as a name of a modern car (Cooper MA, Andrews CJ, 1995). In a fit of inspiration, sometimes nature creates real masterpieces worthy of wonder and admiration just like this powerful and amazing astronomical phenomenon, which is full of mysteries and myths.
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References





  • Mills, B., D. Unrau, C. (2009).  Parkinson, B. Jones, J. Yessis and K. Spring. Canadian Lightning Fatalities and Injury Statistics  Striking Back: An Assessment of Lightning-related Fatality and Injury Risk in Canada. Adaptation & Impacts Research Division, Environment Canada, Waterloo, Canada, Date Modified: 2014-02-25 https://ec.gc.ca/foudre-lightning/default.asp?lang=En&n=5D5FB4F8-1


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