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Lightning and the mountain.—The urge to know more concerning the effects of lightning becomes stronger when one is on a peak with the static charge beginning to make its power felt. When every projection in the vicinity, and finally the climber himself, begins to spark and the air is filled with ominous hissing, the desire to be in camp becomes overwhelming. Since this desire cannot always be satisfied, it is well to know what to do at this time. The reasons behind the classical warning to be off the summit and ridges in a lightning storm can be seen when the mechanics of the lightning discharge are studied. Owing to rising currents of air and various other disturbances in the atmosphere, the clouds in cold-front and line-squall weather obtain high charges of static electricity. When these charges build up to such magnitude that they can overcome the resistance of the air, they tend to join their counterparts on the ground. This is similar to the action of a spark plug in the automobile engine, |
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