9/17/2023 0 Comments Lightning strike scars![]() ![]() Lightning can cause unexpected tree deaths well after the strikeįor some trees when there is a small or no lightning scar, the tree appears to be fine only to die suddenly between two and 12 months later. But you and I know a secret – its trunk is hollow but strong. If you go past today, you will see no evidence of wounds or scars. As more years passed, its trunk broadened and the scar eventually grew over. Over the following years, I observed the long, narrow lightning scar deepening as the wood decayed. Many of us thought it would die, but it defied the odds. There is a splendid variegated elm growing at Melbourne University’s Burnley Campus which was struck by lightning almost 30 years ago. Unlucky trees can explode from a strong lightning hit. Trees can often recover from strikes like this, if the scar and decay are not too great. ![]() The wood behind the scar often decays over time, leaving a hollow behind. You’ll notice the lightning scar on trees like these, as it’s very visible. Such a strike often kills the tree’s living tissues in a strip running along a large branch, vertically down the trunk to the ground, or even ending a metre or two above the ground. Sometimes, lightning will strike one side of a tree. You may well notice the tree will appear to be undamaged and continue to grow well. You can sometimes see the sooty residue left on parts of the tree after a strike like this. If the trunk of the tree is very wet from rain, the lightning will course through the water and dust on the trunk down to the earth, causing little damage to the tree itself. Trees are not very good conductors of electricity. It would be an excellent idea not to be under a tree when this happens.ĭry lightning has set Tasmania ablaze, and climate change makes it more likely to happen again The sap inside the tree instantly turns to steam, which can cause it to literally explode, or lose great strips of wood and bark. For a tree unlucky enough to be hit by one of these events, it’s all over. Strikes can be up to a million volts, generating temperatures up to 20,000℃. The damage done depends on the tree species, whether it was sheet or forked lightning, how wet it was and where the lightning hits the earth and dissipates. The lightning strike pictured hit a tree in Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens. In fact, the effects can vary enormously. You’d think a lightning strike would be game over for most trees. When lightning strikes, they are more likely to be struck. How do these rules apply from the perspective of a tree? Old trees are often the tallest thing around. Lightning never strikes in the same place twice. Don’t shelter under a tree during a thunder storm. Most of us are used to the rules we were told about lightning and trees from childhood. And that means our tallest trees will be hit more often. As storms intensify in our new climate, we’re likely to see more lightning strikes. These all contribute to trees falling or dropping large branches.īut there’s something you might not think of as linked to climate change. This is what we can expect as our climate changes, with storm events more frequent, wind speeds stronger and rainfall heavier. The burn on the left shows “Lichtenburg figures” that resemble fern leaves.The huge storms many Australians have experienced recently have damaged or toppled old trees which had withstood the vagaries of our weather for the past century or more. “Sorry, thank you for informing us, a number of you have already done so.”īurns to the human body from lightning strikes do not clearly resemble the special effects make-up in the misleading image.Īccording to this article in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, so-called “Lichtenburg figures” are characteristic of lightning strike burns.īelow are two screenshots of burns depicted in the article, attributed to lightning. “The made-up actor is Ander Pardo, who has (also) demanded that they stop, but with no results and it is almost certain that it will appear again. I have warned a number of times that this is my work and asked them to stop, but it is out of my control. Someone stole (the photo) without permission and it is constantly going viral. The email dated May 4, 2019, said: “Hi, we are a studio that does make-up effects for cinema… Gorka Aguirre Studio told AFP by email in Spanish that the photo in the misleading post shows one of their artworks and often goes viral. Comparison between screenshots of creations taken from gorkafx’s DeviantArt page (L) and Gorka Aguirre Studio’s website page (R) ![]()
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