Why Does Lightning Sometimes Cause Trees To Explode?

Lightning causes trees to explode because they offer high resistance to the flow of electricity, which causes a high heat build-up as lightning travels through a tree’s frame. The extreme temperatures can sometimes cut trees in half, and the sap in the bark of the tree is subject to extreme temperatures, which can make the tree explode.

You’ve almost certainly seen cartoons and caricatures depicting people being struck by lightning. Similarly, you might have also seen pictures of trees (or even trees in real life) that have been struck by lightning. When humans are struck by lightning, it generally causes burns and several other injuries (some of which might even be fatal), but lightning-struck trees are often cut in half or in rare cases, they even explode! How does that work?

How does lightning cut trees in half, but in the case of humans, lightning strike victims don’t generally lose their limbs?

Lightning strick on tree
Lightning strikes often damage trees.(Photo Credit : Pixabay)

The answer to this question lies in how lightning interacts with humans and trees, respectively.

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