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Research and Development of High-performance Explosives
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The Explosive Effects of Lightning: What are the Risks?
1University of Pretoria - Department of Forensic Medicine.
Academic Forensic Pathology
|June 27, 2019
Summary
Lightning strikes create a powerful blast wave, causing significant blunt force and barotrauma injuries. Understanding these explosive effects helps forensic pathologists assess overpressures and distances in lightning injury cases.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Pathology
- Electrical Engineering
- Biophysics
Background:
- Lightning's explosive effects and associated risks have been historically under-recognized.
- Various terminologies describe lightning's blast phenomenon, including "pressure blast wave" and "arc blast."
- Blunt force trauma and barotrauma are common injuries observed in lightning strike victims.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the explosive effects of lightning.
- To detail blast-related pathologies in lightning strike victims.
- To provide insights for forensic pathologists and lightning safety experts.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a literature search across medical, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering fields.
- Focused on analyzing barotrauma pathology in humans.
- Correlated barotrauma findings with potential overpressures and distances.
Main Results:
- Lightning's pressure blast wave has significant injury implications.
- Identified common blast-related pathologies in lightning strike victims.
- Established a method for estimating overpressures and distances based on barotrauma.
Conclusions:
- The explosive force of lightning is a critical factor in injury causation.
- Barotrauma analysis offers a quantifiable approach to understanding lightning blast effects.
- This research aids in the forensic investigation of lightning-related incidents.
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