Colo. State Installs Lightning-Prediction System

s-orbital writes "According to Colorado State's Rocky Mountain Collegian, CSU has installed four ThorGuard Lightning Prediction systems for under $25,000 to help prevent a lightning-related death or injury on campus. Colorado has the third highest lightning death rate in the US, and this system provides up to 20 minutes of early warning by 'analyzing the electrostatic field within a two-mile radius of the device. When a set amount of lightning-producing electrostatic buildup is detected, a horn will sound and a yellow strobe light will begin flashing, signaling that people in the area should seek shelter because lightning is imminent.'"

Re:More Deaths?

[hawkbug]

Obviously is because we're higher up in Colorado, not to mention that the climate here is very condusive for lightning. It's very dry and on a daily basis for the most part we get afternoon showers that move in from the mountains to the eastern slope.

Professional Golf Tourments...

[north.coaster]

... have used a system like this for several years. With that in mind, I'm not sure why CSU's installation is newsworthy. /Don

Well, Mr. Ivory Tower...

[jellisky]

As an atmospheric science graduate student at CSU (for the last 4+ years), I will tell you that common sense around here (while occasionally in short supply) would tell you that you should stay inside from noon to midnight pretty much every day during the summer. Guess I won't be seeing you out and about if you ever move out here.

Why? Colorado's front range lights up with thunderstorms pretty much every day during the summer. The lightning from these, though, typically stays in-cloud, but the bolts that do reach the ground may end up travelling tens of miles from the main storm. And storms that don't even have any evidence of rain hitting the ground may be just as dangerous as those with rain, so simple visible watching may not tell you any thing.

As a storm chaser, I can attest to this first hand. I was watching a beautiful storm in front of me one time. There were a few storms behind me developing at the time, but nothing severe. You can imagine how close I was to pissing my pants when a bolt from the blue... from the storms BEHIND ME... hit no more than a mile behind me.

For some reason, even the most innocent-looking storm out here can drop a bolt from the blue. I don't know what it is about the atmospheric conditions out here that lets this happen, but it does. (Not a lightning expert here... tropical weather for me.)

This system could be useful, but all in all, I think it's probably not a good investment. College students are the worst people in the world when it comes to following safety procedures. But, I applaud the interesting use of technology here, even if it probably won't be useful. But, if it saves one life, hell, $25K for a life could be worth it.

-Jellisky

Robert A. Heinlein.once said it

[infonography]

would make a great weapon but the trick was aiming it.

Go Look it up, that's your test for today.