What term describes a condition that causes current to rise hundreds of times higher than normal at a very fast rate?

The condition described in the question refers to a short circuit, which occurs when there is an unintended path for current to flow, bypassing the normal load. During a short circuit, the resistance in the circuit drops significantly, leading to a dramatic increase in current flow, often hundreds of times greater than the normal operational level. This rapid surge of current can cause severe damage to electrical components, overheating, and potentially create a fire hazard.

In contrast, a ground fault occurs when current flows through an unintended ground path, which can also lead to high currents but typically not to the same extreme levels found in a short circuit. An overload condition refers to a situation where the electrical load exceeds the rated capacity of a circuit or device, but the current increase is usually more gradual and does not reach the extreme spikes associated with a short circuit. A ground loop pertains to an unintended current flow in conductive paths that can create noise in electrical equipment, but does not define the rapid current surge indicated in the question.