Do fish die when lightning strikes water

Humim not sure about what happens to people. While fish near the surface may die when lightning strikes the water the fish that are deep underwater are likely to survive.

If there is a path that seems shorter and offers less resistance the current would flow through it.

Do fish die when lightning strikes water. So there you have it no the fish generally dont die en mass when lightning strikes. Lightning striking the ocean is quickly dissipated across the surface but if you happen to be swimming about with a nice big steel conductor tied to your back like a scuba diver you could well up your odds of being hit and in for a rough day. Do Fish Die When Lightning Strikes Water.

April 12 2021 721 AM Mixing water and electricity is no joke so what keeps fish safe from lightning strikes hitting the ocean. Joe DrivasStoneGetty Images. While fish near the surface may die when lightning strikes the water the fish that are deep underwater are likely to survive.

Lightning strikes the surface of the water but its electricity is neutralized deeper down. Don MacGorman of the National Severe Storms Laboratory lightning striking a body. So why dont all the fish die.

Before a lightning strike a charge builds up along the waters surface. When lightning strikes most of electrical discharge occurs near the waters surface. Most fish swim below the surface and are unaffected.

Although scientists dont know exactly just how deep the lightning discharge reaches in water its very dangerous to be swimming or. Fish can swim in water which is an excellent conductor of electricity. Now we were all advised back in our childhood not to switch off lights using wet hands.

Yes water and electricity doesnt really mix up well when it comes to deal with a creatures life. So why dont these fish die when lightning strikes. Chris Smith put Johns question to marine biologist Danielle Green.

Danielle - When lightening strikes the sea it spreads out horizontally rather than vertically so it would spread out along the surface. And because most fish and marine organisms tend to live at deeper depths theyre likely to avoid being struck by lightning but it doesnt mean. Lighting does kill fish when it strikes water or near water.

It doesnt kill ALL the fish because it dissipates quickly by spreading out. In fact a kill is more likely to occur when the water is relatively shallow concentrating the effect and when a path is provided - like a tree with roots a bouy a wire etc. - so that the lighting has a path through the water - lots of heat and shock in.

Even still lightning does strike the water sometimes. Why doesnt that kill fish by the thousands. Physics has the answer.

Like metal water is a good conductor so it encourages the electrical current to travel over its surface rather than delve underneath the same way a Faraday cage protects its contents. If there is a path that seems shorter and offers less resistance the current would flow through it. So actually your question is wrong as when lightning strikes a lake the fish which unluckily may come in its path will die while the majority will be safe.

Now lets consider you are soaked in water. If you stay in the water you could try to go deep but its unlikely you can hold your breath for long enough to avoid the danger Fish which usually move around at. For much the same reason that lightning striking an aircraft does not kill all the passengers.

Water is a good conductor and a lake or the ocean has a lot of it so the current density flowing through any chunk of water is not very great. Its easier for the current to flow around the fish than it is to flow through the fish. Do Fish Die When Lightning Strikes Water.

Mixing water and electricity is no joke so what keeps fish safe from lightning strikes hitting the ocean. When lightning strikes the sea some of the fish nearby will die. This is because seawater is a good conductor of electricity and lightning contains a lot.

But the electricity will spread out very quickly so further out from where the lightning hit the fish will only feel a tingle. Though the lightning wouldnt have killed them according to Dade it hit the water out in front of them so they probably didnt feel a dangerous charge he said but they could probably tell they were close to the lightning Lightning checks in at 50000 degrees Fahrenheit so the heat would have been noticeable. The water in the ocean contains dissolved salts and this helps conduct electricity so most of the lightning stays near the surface.

Though if fish are nearby where the lightning hits they may get hurt or die because some of the electricity from the. Do Fish Die When Lightning Strikes Water. Mixing water and electricity is no joke so what keeps fish safe from lightning strikes hitting the ocean.

Lightning doesnt strike the ocean as much as land but when it doesit spreads out over the water which acts as a conductor. It can hit boats that are nearby and electrocute fish that are near the surface. If youre at the beach and hear thunder or see lightning get out of the water.

This does prompt another question. Are fish killed by lightning strikes. I couldnt find out much about this but what I did see suggests the answer is usually not.

The idea is that any current generated by a lightning strike is more likely to spread out across the surface than to travel downwards so as long as the fish are sufficiently far below the surface they should be OK. Mixing water and electricity is no joke so what keeps fish safe from lightning strikes hitting the ocean. A reader brought to my attention a question that is floating around the internet.

If lightning strikes the ocean do the marine animals get hurt or killed. Mixing water and electricity is no joke so what keeps fish safe from lightning strikes hitting the ocean. Reservoir more than 60 below capacity amid worsening drought ongoing heat.

Do Fish Die When Lightning Strikes Water. Mixing water and electricity is no joke so what keeps fish safe from lightning strikes hitting the ocean. But I think that the energy from the lightning bolt weakens really soon after it hits the water so the majority of the fish will be fine.

Humim not sure about what happens to people. I know that lightning will prefer to go through the boat than water and that a number of deaths each year at sea are the result of lightening strike.