Investigating the risk of lightning’s pressure blast wave

dc.contributor.authorBlumenthal, Ryan
dc.contributor.authorWest, Nicholas J.
dc.contributor.emailryan.blumenthal@up.ac.zaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-06-22T13:00:28Z
dc.date.available2015-06-22T13:00:28Z
dc.date.issued2015-03
dc.description.abstractWe 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.librarianam2015en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://www.sajs.co.zaen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBlumenthal 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.2015/20140187en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0038-2353 (print)
dc.identifier.issn1996-7489 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.17159/sajs.2015/20140187
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/45650
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherAOSIS OpenJournalsen_ZA
dc.rights© 2015. The Author(s). Published under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence.en_ZA
dc.subjectLightningen_ZA
dc.subjectFlash moisture vaporisation theoryen_ZA
dc.subjectSixth mechanism theoryen_ZA
dc.subjectBarotraumaen_ZA
dc.subjectKeraunomedicineen_ZA
dc.subjectKeraunopathologyen_ZA
dc.subjectPressure blast wave
dc.subjectRisk assessment
dc.subjectEnvironmental hazards
dc.subjectBlast wave effects
dc.subjectNatural disasters
dc.subject.otherHealth sciences articles SDG-03
dc.subject.otherSDG-03: Good health and well-being
dc.subject.otherHealth sciences articles SDG-11
dc.subject.otherSDG-11: Sustainable cities and communities
dc.titleInvestigating the risk of lightning’s pressure blast waveen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA

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