looking for lightning terms

[Doug Raflik]

What is the term for lightning that travels through the ground after a strike and comes back up to hit a person or object? Like when a whole soccer team will get shocked by a lightning strike somewhere on the field. Also the term for lightning that strikes a wire fence and travels along that fence to strike something next to it some distance away?

Thank you,
Doug Raflik

 

[scott r currens]

How about ground crawlers? OK, I just made that up but it sounds good. If "ground crawlers" catches on I am copyrighting and trademarking it. LOL

 

[Eric Flescher]

terms for l;ightning

subterraneancrawlers or
subterraneancrawlershockers

PS I can think of longer ones too

 

[Dan Robinson]

Ground current and to a lesser extent step voltage are the two terms most commonly used when referring to the radial gradient of current in the ground. Side flash has been used to describe all or part of the channel jumping horizontally through a house or from a tree to a person. As for the current that travels down a long fence or railroad track, I'm not sure if there is an official term yet (either listed with AMS or coined by the researchers).

Some of lightning terminology coined by the veteran researchers has been replaced or superceded by ones coined by chasers and the general public, so it's hard to nail down an official list.