RESEARCHER REPORTS MORE EVIDENCE THAT LIGHTNING STRIKE COINCIDES WITH WEST VIRGINIA MINE EXPLOSION
31 August 2006 - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Martin Chapman, director of the Virginia Tech Seismological Observatory and research assistant professor of geosciences in the College of Science, reported that the West Virginia digital seismic station recorded a seismic event at the time of the explosion at the Sago Mine that correlates with lightning strikes in that area.

Numerous lightning strikes were recorded by Weatherbug, a provider of weather information via a network of 8,000 stations across the U.S. "We have a lightening network," explains Bob Marshall, CEO of the WeatherBug United States Precision Lightning Network. "When we saw that these events were near Sago, we called the US Geological Survey, who referred us to Martin Chapman at Virginia Tech. Martin then checked the seismic station readings for the time of the lightning strike."

Chapman emphasizes that the findings do not confirm lightning was the cause, but does provide more information for investigators of the tragedy. Virginia Tech Seismological Observatory staff are looking for additional information from other stations on the VTSO seismic network.

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