Crater in a wheat field in Charente-Maritime caused by lightning, 1983

Summary

In March 1983, a farmer in Charente-Maritime discovered an unexplained crater in his wheat field. The investigation lasted several months and considered various hypotheses, including a World War II ordnance explosion, which was quickly ruled out. It was ultimately determined that lightning during a violent storm on 15 March had caused the crater—a clear example of a natural phenomenon that appears mysterious until rigorous analysis reveals a simple cause.