For centuries, human residents of planet Earth have been fascinated with thunder and lightning.
Long ago, the origins of “fire from the sky” and its accompanying big, loud sound weren’t understood, and in some cultures these heavenly displays caused all sorts of fearful reactions as people thought “the gods” must be angry or some other entity was threatening to make things go haywire. That lack of understanding sometimes made people take pretty drastic measures to compensate, like making sacrificial offerings of belongings, animals or in extreme cases, other people.
But nowadays, science has determined that thunder is actually caused by lightning, which explains why lightning strikes are followed by a thunderous roar. And, as we all know, when we hear that roar is based on how far away a given lightning strike is, because sound moves along at only about 767 miles per hour, not even a snail’s pace compared to light.
The process of thunder’s manifestation is amazing, but not all that complicated. Once lightning is generated, a sudden increase in pressure and temperature follows, producing swift expansion of the air near and inside the “bolt.” The result is a sonic shock wave accompanied by a loud blast similar to the sonic boom caused by an airplane breaking the sound barrier.
For the record, the temperature in a fresh lightning strike can reach as high as 30,000 degrees Kelvin, or more than 53,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Yep, that’s pretty hot. Considering that the temperature of the Sun is a bit less than 6,000 Kelvin, it’s hard to even grasp how hot lightning is.
So what causes lighting? That’s not fully understood, but the basics involve a rapid, violent electrostatic discharge where two electrically charged portions of the atmosphere meet.
In other words, it’s like a directional explosion of electricity.
Obviously, some places on the planet experience more thunder and lighting than others, and the Missouri Ozarks is by no means low on that scale. In turn, we who live in that region are familiar with the many forms the sound of thunder can take on – like the quick, sharp crack from a nearby lightning strike (sometimes called a “clap”), to the low rumbling from a strike miles away (which is sometimes called, “brontide”). We also know that lightning can come with varied frequency and even go across the sky instead of toward the Earth’s surface.
Thankfully, the sound of thunder itself doesn’t present any significant danger, although the 2002 Disney movie, “Snow Dogs,” classically and humorously challenges that notion. During a gathering of competitors prior to a big dog sled race, the lead character, Dr. Ted Brooks (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.), asks a couple of locals why a well-known mountain man in the small Alaska town (played by James Coburn) goes by the name, “Thunder Jack” Johnson. When told it’s because he was hit by thunder – twice – Brooks says, “you can’t get hit by thunder!”
Brooks’ statement gets the attention of some people near him who simply nod their heads in opposition.
But lightning – that’s another issue. It’s basically pure electricity packing major heat, and it’s known to be very dangerous to both objects and life forms. That makes anyone who survives a direct hit a very fortunate person, and leaves them with – at very least – an interesting story to tell. Just ask professional golfer Lee Trevino, who has been hit by lightning three times, including once while playing in a PGA tournament in 1975.
For the record, the odds of being hit by lightning are about 300,000-to-1. The odds of being hit three times? We’ll have to check with Star Trek’s Mr. Spock.
Anyway, the way things are going this year, we in the Missouri Ozarks have seen plenty of lightning and heard plenty of thunder and there’s little reason to think we won’t hear plenty more in the near future. But at least we can rest easy knowing we don’t need to offer up our favorite pair of shoes, a pet gerbil or an annoying neighbor in hopes of appeasing their wrath.
Just the same, you’ll probably agree that thunder and lightning can be pretty distracting at 2:30 in the morning and it might be nice if there was a way to tone them down a bit now and then. I’ll bet Lee and ol’ Thunder Jack would whole-heartedly agree.
Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald.
Email: ddavison@houstonherald.com.
