[at-l] Lightning Strikes

[Charles Copeland" <charles@uswnet.com (Charles Copeland)]

I don't know if there's been enough research done on lightning to determine
if metal glasses make any difference in the *chance* being struck by
lightning.  In order to be struck, you would need to be in a stream of ions
pointing up to the clouds.  The clouds have streams of ions pointing down
towards the ground.  When the streams meet, a circuit is closed and *zap* -
a lighting bolt occurs.  [As the good ol' Discovery Channel puts it - there
are actually *two* strikes every time]  People have described feeling a
tingling prior to being struck - this is the ionization.  The ionization is
going to occur whether or not you wear rubber shoes or metal ones, plastic
frames or metal frames.  The difference is the results *should* you be
struck.  I'm guessing that metal glasses would probably get you more
seriously burned than if you wore plastic frames because the lightning would
make its way through the frame.  Rubber boots might keep you from being
completely grounded and could keep you from getting completely fried.

In any case, I don't like hiking or being anywhere outdoors when lightning
is striking and I especially don't want to be on Blood Mtn.  If you walk
northbound from the shelter down to the treeline across those huge rocks you
can see at least a dozen places where lightning has struck the *rock* - and
there are plenty of zapped trees too!

Charles


----- Original Message -----
From: "W F Thorneloe" <thornel@attglobal.net>
To: "Linda Benschop" <lvb@mindspring.com>
Cc: <at-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2001 12:51 PM
Subject: Re: [at-l] at-l Lightening Strikes


I'd like to hear from an electrical engineer, but that sounds a bit - ahem
- spurious. I could see problems working around electrical equipment while
wearing glasses, but one is likely to be a target for a charge as a result
of exposure rather than simply due to clothing. If you are grounded and are
exposed in a charged environment, I suspect the fact that you have glasses
is of little real additional risk.

Nothing wrong with contact lenses or other refractions, just that I
wouldn't toss away my glasses in a storm (unless they fogged up or too much
water on them to see through).

OrangeBug

At 12:30 PM 8/23/2001 -0400, Linda Benschop wrote:
>Re lightening: Another think to be concerned about is glasses and what the
>frame is made of.  After my eye doctor told me that, ...

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