Ok, I was just talking to a buddy of mine and the subject of thunderstorms came up and I was telling a story of being stuck on Lake Michigan in a pretty good storm (we got the hell out of there pretty quick) Anyway, he asked me that if lightning strikes water, or somewhere near water (i.e. boat, metal bridge, etc.) how come the fish are not harmed (are they stunned at all?), but if the lightning were to strike the boat i was on, I would probably be cooked. I remember someone telling me that the fish aren’t grounded, but then wouldn’t the boat not be grounded either? Any help?
Just remember that the lightning flash is an electrical circuit, and charge flows to ground, following the ‘path of least resistance’.
If the lightning bolt hits you, then travels through the boat to the water, you have a problem.
If the bolt hits the boat, but not you, you would be OK.
If a fish poked it’s head above the water, and was hit on the nose, it would have a (short) problem, but while it is in the water, there is no reason for the charge to flow through the fish - it’s easier to travel through the water.
Russell
When the potential energy between ions and electrons is great enough and they are close enough together, a stepped leader emerges from the cloud and follows a tortuous route to earth. Since air is a poor conductor, the leader twists and turns seeking the path of least resistance. Meanwhile, on the ground, ion streamers (which can leap 20’ or more) jump up towards the descending leader. When the step leader meets a streamer, enormous electrical energy surges to the earth in the newlly created channel and a lightning strike is born.
Water is less attractive than the nearby river banks, with the exception of storms occurring out in the middle of the ocean. In this case, water just serves as another medium through which the electrical discharge travels on its way to the ferrous body of your planet. The question could just as fairly be asked: why aren’t birds, bugs
and all manner of animals flying anywhere within the Earth’s atmosphere toasted when bolt of lightning travels through that medium?
The water serves more to conduct an electrical current away from waterborne objects. Unless said object is close enough to be directly roasted by the radiant heat
energy of the discharge or is actually in the discharge path, it is unlikely to suffer any serious ill effects.
The warnings we’re given about being near water during storms are meant to warn us away we’re not standing close enough for the heat of a bolt to sizzle your bacon.