Investigating the risk of lightning’s pressure blast wave

Blumenthal, Ryan; West, Nicholas J.

dc.contributor.author	Blumenthal, Ryan
dc.contributor.author	West, Nicholas J.
dc.date.accessioned	2015-06-22T13:00:28Z
dc.date.available	2015-06-22T13:00:28Z
dc.date.issued	2015-03
dc.description.abstract	We investigated the pathology of human trauma associated with lightning’s pressure blast wave. Within what range is a human at risk and what are the risks? Two theories for the trauma currently exist: the flash moisture vaporisation theory and the sixth mechanism theory. We performed a simple proof-of-concept experiment in a high-voltage laboratory to determine which theory makes for better predictions. The experiment confirmed the existence of a non-discriminant pressure blast wave around a spark in air. The lightning data were compared with the known medical data. Findings may now help explain some of the more curious lightning injury patterns seen on lightning-strike victims.	en_ZA
dc.description.librarian	am2015	en_ZA
dc.description.uri	http://www.sajs.co.za	en_ZA
dc.identifier.citation	Blumenthal R & West NJ 2015, 'Investigating the risk of lightning’s pressure blast wave', South African Journal of Science, vol. 111, no. 3/4, art. #2014-0187, pp. 1-5. http://dx.DOI.org/ 10.17159/sajs.2015/20140187	en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn	0038-2353 (print)
dc.identifier.issn	1996-7489 (online)
dc.identifier.other	10.17159/sajs.2015/20140187
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/2263/45650
dc.language.iso	en	en_ZA
dc.publisher	AOSIS OpenJournals	en_ZA
dc.rights	© 2015. The Author(s). Published under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence.	en_ZA
dc.subject	Lightning	en_ZA
dc.subject	Flash moisture vaporisation theory	en_ZA
dc.subject	Sixth mechanism theory	en_ZA
dc.subject	Barotrauma	en_ZA
dc.subject	Keraunomedicine	en_ZA
dc.subject	Keraunopathology	en_ZA
dc.title	Investigating the risk of lightning’s pressure blast wave	en_ZA
dc.type	Article	en_ZA