Monday, August 29, 2016

Over 300 Reindeer Killed by Lightning Strike in Norway

News Link
Very unusual. It's a little hard to tell from the photo, but it looks like the kill zone is about the size of a football field. It is tundra with bedrock exposed, so the bolt must have been transmitted through the rock surface - I don't think the air blast could have killed all these animals. There are no obvious signs of electrical burns but the photo isn't sharp enough to tell. It makes me wonder why this doesn't happen to mountain goats in Colorado, who live in similar terrain with lots of lightning.  Could it be that the caribou had anxiety-induced heart attacks from the loud boom?

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