514

In 2016, over 300 wild reindeer were killed by a single lightning strike on the Hardangervidda plateau in Norway (lemmy.world)

submitted 3 days ago by ickplant@lemmy.world to c/mildlyinteresting@lemmy.world

65 comments fedilink hide all child comments

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[-] AugustWest@lemm.ee 32 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

That's interesting. I have seen lightning split a tree and then follow wires into a house blowing out the wall all long the path of the wires. I have also seen it lift up decking when following underground wires.

But if lightning hits with no lightning rod and ground is equally everywhere I guess I could imagine this result.

[-] pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip 7 points 2 days ago

I read somewhere that the induced electical field shift near a lightning strike is - while orders of magnitude calmer than the strike itself - still powerful enough to burn, maim and kill.

I think it's what Wikipedia calls "side splash" in the article on lightning injury?

[-] dickalan@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Here’s a question with a non-intuitive answer, do you think lightning rods attract lightning or ….

[-] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 23 points 3 days ago

and ground is equally everywhere

You make an interesting point; Lapland is known for being relatively flat, often stony and pretty much treeless. I'm sure that contributed to an increased radius.

[-] colourlessidea@sopuli.xyz 13 points 3 days ago

Small correction: this was in southwestern Norway; Lapland is in the far north of Finland.

[-] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 9 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Oh, sorry I just assumed Lapland when I saw reindeer.

Lapland - or Sápmi to be precise, but that's an even larger area - is in the North of Finland, Sweden and Norway.

[-] superkret@feddit.org 3 points 2 days ago

When you correct people, double-check that you're correct.
I spent several weeks in Lapland, and I was nowhere close to Finland at any point

[-] colourlessidea@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 days ago

I did, and I suppose you did as well which would have shown you what I meant and the differences between the Lapland of Finland and the general Sápmi region which is not often referred to as Lapland any more.