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There is no fully formed or generally accepted scientific theory on ball lightning, mainly because it is so rare, and even if it occurs its for such a short span that it cannot be studied. It generally has a lifetime of less than five seconds.These balls have been reported to melt glass windows, burn objects, and sometimes even kill people. There have been many theories have been proposed to explain this phenomenon.

John Abrahamson and James Dinniss, of the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, first proposed the ball-lightning theory that lies behind Pavão’s research. The pair suggested that when lightning strikes a surface, like the Earth’s silica-rich soil, a vapor is formed. This silicon vapor may condense into particles that combine with oxygen in the air to slowly burn with the chemical energy of oxidation.

Pavão and Paiva have spent two years testing the theory with a simple experiment. They used electrodes to shock silicon wafers with enough electricity to create a silicon vapor. Most of the artificial orbs lasted two to five seconds, but at least one has survived as long as eight seconds—approximating natural ball lightning and far exceeding previous efforts to create the phenomenon in the lab.

Ball lightning expert Graham K. Hubler, a physicist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C, called the work “very promising.” “The eight seconds is extraordinary and bodes well for a possible explanation for many ball-lightning events,” he said.

Abrahamson, the New Zealand scientist, agrees. “Their balls are of sufficient duration and size to enter the mainstream of ball lightning seen in nature,” Abrahamson said. “Also the balls have sufficient properties similar to those in nature to be convincing ball lightning.”

Other Sources of the Phenomenon?

Abrahamson added that other materials besides silicon can also cause ball lightning, though none of them have been successfully tested. “Our theory includes many materials, such as aluminum and iron metals, which appear to be the sources of some balls seen in nature,” he said.

Some sightings of the ball lightning have occurred in or around airplanes, Abrahamson explained, which suggests that aluminum in the aircraft could also have caused the phenomenon. If these materials can produce ball lightning, he said, the phenomenon may occur after lightning strikes power poles, electrical fittings, roof materials, and other objects.

In fact, Abrahamson suggested, conventional lightning may not be the only energy source for the curious orbs. “It could be smaller atmospheric discharges or even friction heating from earthquakes—balls have been seen coming from an active fault,” he said.

The MSC Napoli, a 68,000-ton (62,000-metric-ton) container ship, has already spilt around 220 tons (200 metric tons) of light fuel oil from it’s engine room, creating a five-mile-long slick on the sea surface just off the southwest coast of the United Kingdom.

The Napoli was sliced open on January 18 during a heavy storm, and initial efforts to tow the ship to Portland Harbor were stymied by severe structural damage. So the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency decided to beach the ship in Lyme Bay, part a wildlife-rich area near Sidmouth in Devon. The salvage crews are working around the clock to remove containers and pump oil off the ship.

The most pressing concern is the ship’s 3,900-ton (3,500-metric-ton) store of heavy fuel oil, used to drive the boat. “If this leaks out, then it will be a very serious incident,” said a spokesperson from the country’s Environment Agency.

Wild Life Endangered

The location’s 95 miles (153 kilometers) of coastline is home to rich and varied flora and fauna. If the oil reaches the shore, then it could threaten some rare species like the pink seafan (a coral) and specialized niche environments such as the maerl beds.

Marine biologist Robin Crump added that “heavy fuel oil has a smothering effect, killing creatures like limpets and barnacles.”

The Environment Agency has been taking water and shellfish samples from the entire stretch of coast and will be monitoring the effects of the pollution carefully over the coming days and weeks. If the heavy oil does leak, then previous experience indicates that wildlife could be affected for a number of years.

“It depends on the type of oil and the weather conditions, but it will probably take between five and ten years to recover,” Crump said.

Toxin’s

In addition to the oil hazard, around 200 of the ship’s 2,323 containers have fallen overboard. About 160 of the containers are said to contain hazardous material like pesticides and insecticides. Two of these, containing perfume and battery acid, were among those that plunged into the sea.

“This has increased the environmental damage by creating lots of litter and damage, making the clean-up operation much more difficult,” said Sophia Exelby from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Complex Operation

Many experts also fear that poor weather will hamper the delicate heavy-oil recovery operation, which is expected to last around a week.

“The cold weather means that the oil has a treacle-like consistency and has to be warmed up before it can be pumped off,” said Farooq Mulla, a spokesperson for the Environment Agency.

The process of removing the ships containers and the oil that is containes in them is a tedious process. This whole process could take around an year to be complete.