Investigation of the dehydration effects of lightning impulses

There are many aspects of lightning that are not yet understood; indeed many of the aspects of lightning that were believed to be understood have recently seen evolution due to new information. One of these aspects is the dehydration effects of a lightning impulse, which may have implications for the effects in flora and fauna. A specific instance is the current hypothesis that trees that explode may do so due to the rapid vaporization of the trees fluids. An understanding of the dehydration effects of lightning impulses in general will offer insight into the possibility of this occurring as well as many other systems where dehydration is applicable. This paper details an investigation into a method of measuring and quantifying the dehydration effects of a lightning impulse and the challenges faced in its development.