País dos Raios - Fantástico - Ep. 03/03

Grupo Storm

8 Dec 201609:58

Summary

TLDRThe script discusses the challenges of lightning in Brazil, focusing on construction safety during the 2014 World Cup preparations and the high incidence of lightning in São Paulo's Zona Leste. It highlights the IMP's advanced lightning detection system and the impact of deforestation on increasing lightning intensity. The script also touches on the economic losses caused by lightning, the precautions taken in aviation, and historical accounts of lightning in Brazil, including the first recorded lightning strike in 1885. It concludes with the idea that harnessing lightning energy remains a challenge, and the importance of improving protection against it.

Takeaways

🗓️ The script discusses a construction project with a deadline of December 30, 2013, and the challenges of weather conditions on its progress.
⚠️ There is an emphasis on safety, especially during thunderstorms, with workers on high alert and a complete shutdown in case of lightning.
🏟️ The Arena Corinthians is highlighted as a major construction site for the 2014 World Cup, with 2200 workers laboring 22 hours a day to meet deadlines.
⛈️ The script mentions the high risk of lightning strikes in São Paulo's eastern zone, which is the region with the highest lightning index in Southeast Brazil.
🌡️ The Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE) is involved in monitoring weather conditions and has a network of high-tech sensors for early lightning detection.
🌐 The INPE's lightning monitoring system is expanding and aims to cover the northern region of Brazil, which is more affected by lightning.
🌳 The Amazon region is experiencing an increase in lightning strikes, possibly due to deforestation making the area drier and storms more intense.
💡 The script discusses the challenges of protecting energy transmission towers in the Amazon and the potential for increased lightning activity due to human-made structures.
✈️ Aviation safety is also a concern, with commercial aircraft being struck by lightning on average once to three times a year, requiring maintenance post-incident.
🛳️ The maritime sector is not exempt from lightning risks, with the script mentioning the first ship to have a lightning rod, the Beagle, which carried Charles Darwin.
🌆 The script concludes with a reflection on the increasing frequency of thunderstorms in Brazil, the economic impact of lightning, and the need for better protection against it.

Q & A

What was the scheduled completion date for the Arena Corinthians construction project mentioned in the script?
-The Arena Corinthians was scheduled to be completed by December 30, 2013.
How many hours a day were the workers at the Arena Corinthians construction site working to meet the deadlines?
-The workers were working 22 hours a day.
What is the role of the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE) in the script's context?
-INPE is responsible for the alert system that triggers alarms for lightning, which is connected to the Arena Corinthians construction project.
How many lightning sensors does INPE have installed in Brazil, according to the script?
-INPE had 60 lightning sensors installed in Brazil, with plans to expand to 100 by the end of the year.
What is the significance of the lightning sensors installed by INPE?
-The sensors are high-tech devices that can detect not only ground strikes but also intra-cloud and cloud-to-cloud lightning discharges.
What is the average number of lightning strikes per year in the eastern part of São Paulo, as mentioned in the script?
-The eastern part of São Paulo experiences the highest rate of lightning strikes in the Southeast region of Brazil, with 17,000 strikes per year.
What is the potential impact of the transmission towers on lightning activity in the Amazon region?
-The transmission towers, which are meant to improve energy distribution, could potentially cause the opposite effect by attracting and producing more lightning strikes, known as upward lightning.
What is the economic impact of lightning strikes in Brazil, as estimated by INPE?
-INPE estimates that lightning strikes cause a loss of 1 billion reais to the Brazilian economy annually.
How does deforestation affect the frequency and intensity of storms in the Amazon region, according to the script?
-Deforestation is making the Amazon region drier, which may lead to fewer but more intense storms with more lightning, potentially causing more fires.
What measures are taken to ensure the safety of aircraft from lightning strikes, as discussed in the script?
-Aircraft are designed with a metallic fuselage that isolates electrical currents from lightning strikes, similar to a car. Modern aircraft, even those made with carbon fiber, have a metallic mesh layer for lightning strike protection.
Why is it not feasible to harness the energy from lightning strikes for electricity, as mentioned in the script?
-The energy from a single lightning strike is not substantial because it lasts for an extremely short fraction of time. Additionally, science has not yet developed a way to capture the electricity from atmospheric discharges.
What is the historical significance of the first lightning strike recorded in Brazil, as described in the script?
-The first lightning strike in Brazil was recorded on November 9, 1885, by Moriz, a scientist who also worked as an astronomer and topographer, and later became the director of the National Observatory created by Dom Pedro I in 1827.
How has the number of stormy days per year changed in São Paulo from the end of the 19th century to the present, according to the script?
-At the end of the 19th century, São Paulo had 60 stormy days per year, which has increased to 90 days per year, a 50% increase attributed to urbanization and potentially worsening climate change.

Outlines

00:00

🏗️ Construction Safety Amidst Weather Challenges

The script discusses the urgency and safety concerns surrounding the construction of the Arena Corinthians for the 2014 World Cup in São Paulo. Despite the weather, workers labor 22 hours a day to meet deadlines. The construction site is equipped with a lightning alert system connected to the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), which uses high-tech sensors to detect lightning strikes both on the ground and within clouds. The INPE's network of sensors is the second largest in the world, with plans to expand coverage, especially in the north where lightning is more frequent. The script also touches on the impact of deforestation in the Amazon, suggesting it could lead to stronger storms with more lightning, potentially causing fires.

05:02

⚡ Lightning Protection and Historical Perspectives

This paragraph delves into the various ways lightning protection is implemented across different sectors, including construction, aviation, and maritime. It explains how metal structures in aircraft and ships are used to safely conduct lightning strikes. The script also provides historical context, mentioning the first recorded lightning strike in Brazil in 1885 and the establishment of the National Observatory by Dom Pedro I in 1827. It discusses the increase in lightning days in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, attributing the rise to urbanization and climate change. The potential of harnessing lightning energy is explored, but the current limitations in capturing such energy are highlighted. The script concludes by emphasizing the importance of improving lightning protection measures, given the expectation of more storms in the future.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Lightning

Lightning is a natural electrical discharge that occurs during a thunderstorm. It is a major theme in the video, as it discusses the impact of lightning on various aspects of life in Brazil. The script mentions the high incidence of lightning in São Paulo and the measures taken to protect construction sites and infrastructure from lightning strikes, such as the alert system of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE).

💡Construction Site Safety

Construction site safety refers to the precautions taken to protect workers and structures from potential hazards, including weather-related risks. The script highlights the urgency of completing the Arena Corinthians by the deadline and the additional safety measures implemented during thunderstorm alerts, emphasizing the importance of safety even under tight schedules.

💡INPE (National Institute for Space Research)

INPE is a Brazilian research institute that focuses on space and Earth sciences. The script discusses INPE's role in monitoring lightning through a network of high-tech sensors, which helps in early warning systems and understanding the severity of storms, thus playing a crucial part in the narrative of weather-related risks and safety.

💡High-Tech Sensors

High-tech sensors are advanced devices used for detecting and monitoring various phenomena, including lightning. The video script describes how these sensors can detect not only ground strikes but also intra-cloud and inter-cloud lightning, which are important for assessing storm severity and providing early warnings.

💡Transmission Towers

Transmission towers are tall structures used to support power lines for the transmission of electricity. The script mentions these towers in the context of the Amazon, where they are used to improve energy distribution but also have the potential to cause increased lightning activity due to their height.

💡Deforestation

Deforestation refers to the removal of trees and forests, which can have various environmental impacts. The script suggests that deforestation in the Amazon is making the region drier, potentially leading to fewer but more intense storms with increased lightning activity, thus highlighting the environmental consequences of such actions.

💡Aeronautical Meteorology

Aeronautical meteorology is the study of weather as it relates to aviation. The script discusses how weather conditions are monitored and communicated to pilots to plan flight paths, emphasizing the importance of avoiding storms and the safety measures taken in the aviation sector against lightning strikes.

💡Carbon Fiber Aircraft

Carbon fiber aircraft are modern airplanes that use carbon fiber composite materials in their construction. The script explains that even these advanced materials require lightning protection, typically in the form of a metallic mesh within the carbon fiber layers to dissipate electrical charges safely.

💡Historical Significance of Lightning

The script touches on the historical significance of lightning in Brazil, including the first recorded lightning strike in the country and its impact on historical figures like Dom João VI, who was known to have a fear of thunderstorms.

💡Urbanization and Climate Change

Urbanization and climate change are presented in the script as factors contributing to an increase in the number of storm days in cities like São Paulo. The video suggests that these phenomena may exacerbate the frequency and intensity of storms, which is relevant to the broader theme of weather-related risks.

💡Energy Production and Lightning

The script discusses the idea of harnessing the energy of lightning for electricity production, explaining the challenges and current limitations of capturing such energy due to its short duration and the lack of technology to do so effectively.

Highlights

The Arena Corinthians construction site in Sao Paulo is on high alert for lightning, with workers operating 22 hours a day to meet deadlines.

The construction site is connected to the National Institute for Space Research (INPE)'s lightning alert system using high-tech sensors to detect lightning strikes.

INPE's lightning monitoring network is the second largest in the world, with plans to expand coverage, especially in the hard-hit northern region of Brazil.

Deforestation is making the Amazon region drier, potentially leading to fewer but more intense storms with more lightning, increasing the risk of fires.

Lightning strikes cause an estimated 1 billion reais in annual losses to the Brazilian economy, a figure that could rise with increased deforestation.

High-voltage transmission towers in the Amazon, built to improve energy distribution, may inadvertently increase the risk of lightning strikes.

The Amazon region experiences the highest concentration of lightning strikes on Earth, with implications for energy production and infrastructure.

A single day without electricity production in the Amazon can result in a loss of 350,000 reais and up to 4 energy peaks due to lightning-induced outages.

Air travel is impacted by lightning, with commercial aircraft struck an average of 1-3 times per year, requiring post-flight maintenance.

Modern aircraft, even those made with carbon fiber, have metal mesh layers to protect against lightning strikes by dissipating electrical charges.

Historical records show that Dom João VI, who arrived in Brazil in 1808, had an intense fear of lightning and thunderstorms.

The number of thunderstorm days per year in Rio de Janeiro has remained relatively constant, while Sao Paulo has seen a 50% increase, likely due to urbanization.

Climate change and warming oceans may exacerbate the increase in thunderstorm days in Brazil.

Capturing the energy from lightning strikes is not feasible due to their short duration and the lack of technology to harness atmospheric electrical discharges.

The energy stored in storm clouds is much greater and could potentially be harnessed in the future, but current technology is not capable.

The best current solution is to improve protection against lightning, as the number of thunderstorms in Brazil is expected to increase.

Brazil continues to be the country with the most lightning strikes, with no current way to utilize this energy source effectively.