The paper considers instances of lightning initiated by man's activities. These include the triggering of lightning by high-rise buildings and other tall structures; by rockets trailing wires; by the column of water thrown up by a depth-charge; by the large Apollo 12 rocket; by aircraft; and by thermonuclear explosions. All the incidents occur when the ambient electric field is some 10,000 volts per meter, and the voltage discontinuity between the conductor initiating the lightning and the adjacent atmosphere is about a million volts. It is pointed out how solid-state devices and microcircuitry, computers, plastics, and electrically composite materials, are all quite vulnerable to the effects of lightning. These components are being increasingly used in aircraft construction and operation. Also, as aircraft become bigger and faster they have a greater propensity to trigger lightning. Therefore it is concluded that the lightning hazard to aircraft operation is increasing. (Author)


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Triggered Lightning and Some Unsuspected Lightning Hazards


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1972


    Size :

    25 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    Triggered lightning

    Clifford, D.W. / Kasemir, H.W. | Tema Archive | 1982


    Rocket triggered lightning

    Kawasaki, Z.-I. / Cooray, V. / Swiss Federal Institute of Technology; Communication Technology Laboratory | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1997


    Lightning hazards to aircraft

    Corn, P. B. | NTRS | 1978


    Laser-triggered lightning [3423-47]

    Shimada, Y. / Uchida, S. / Yasuda, H. et al. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1998


    Lightning hazards to aircraft fuel systems

    Kovalick, W.M. | Engineering Index Backfile | 1964