8,700 Studies Reviewed. 87.0% Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.
Shield Your Body
Whole Body / General

Field Investigations of Lightning

Bioeffects Seen

C. F. Wagner, G. D. McCann, Edward Beck · 1941

Share:

Lightning creates nature's most intense EMF pulses, but differs fundamentally from chronic wireless device exposures.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

This 1941 engineering study examined lightning strikes and electrical currents, measuring how lightning creates multiple electrical discharges and the wave patterns of these currents. Researchers found clear differences between direct lightning strikes and the electrical currents they produce in lightning arresters (protective devices).

Why This Matters

While this 1941 study predates our modern understanding of EMF health effects, it represents early documentation of intense electromagnetic phenomena in nature. Lightning produces some of the most powerful electromagnetic pulses on Earth, generating frequencies across the entire spectrum from extremely low frequency (ELF) to radio frequency ranges. The multiple discharge patterns Wagner documented create brief but extremely high-intensity EMF exposures that dwarf anything from our electronic devices. What makes this relevant today is the recognition that natural EMF sources like lightning have always existed, but the chronic, low-level exposures from our wireless technology represent an entirely different type of electromagnetic environment. The key difference is duration and proximity - lightning lasts microseconds and occurs at distance, while our devices emit continuous signals inches from our bodies for hours daily.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Cite This Study
C. F. Wagner, G. D. McCann, Edward Beck (1941). Field Investigations of Lightning.
Show BibTeX
@article{field_investigations_of_lightning_g5573,
  author = {C. F. Wagner and G. D. McCann and Edward Beck},
  title = {Field Investigations of Lightning},
  year = {1941},
  
  
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Lightning generates electromagnetic pulses across the entire frequency spectrum, from extremely low frequencies (ELF) below 100 Hz up through radio frequencies. The multiple discharge patterns create broadband electromagnetic energy that can interfere with radio communications and electronic equipment.
Lightning arresters create different current patterns than direct lightning strikes. Wagner's measurements showed that the protective devices alter the wave shape and characteristics of electromagnetic currents, demonstrating how engineered systems can modify natural electromagnetic phenomena.
Lightning EMPs are extremely brief (microseconds) and typically occur at significant distances from people. While lightning strikes can be fatal through electrical shock, the electromagnetic pulse component poses minimal health risk due to its short duration and infrequent occurrence.
Lightning produces electromagnetic field intensities millions of times stronger than wireless devices, but only for microseconds. Cell phones and WiFi create much weaker but continuous exposures over hours, representing fundamentally different exposure scenarios despite both being electromagnetic phenomena.
Engineers needed to understand lightning's electromagnetic characteristics to design better protection systems for electrical equipment and power lines. This research helped develop lightning rods and arresters that could handle the multiple discharge patterns Wagner documented.