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LightningLightning is the rapid flow of electricity between two oppositely charged regions in the atmosphere. The air surrounding the flow is superheated to up to five times the surface temperature of the sun, producing a bolt of plasma—atoms stripped of their electrons—that flashes intensely. The rapid expansion of this heated air generates a shockwave, which is heard as thunder.
Within storm clouds, collisions between updrafts of water droplets and ice crystals and downdrafts of graupel—soft hail—transfer electrons from rising to descending matter. Positive and negative charge builds at the top and bottom of clouds, respectively, until the electric potential difference becomes stronger than the insulating properties of air. An electrical discharge between the regions produces lightning as electrons rush through the air like a static shock, restoring charge balance.
While most lightning occurs within or between clouds, the potential can induce a net positive charge on Earth's surface below. If a filament of descending, negatively charged air meets a tendril of positively charged particles rising from the surface, cloud-to-ground lightning is produced. Tall objects such as trees and buildings facilitate this meeting, making them more prone to lightning strikes. Although associated with thunderstorms, the charge separation driving the 8 million lightning strikes that occur on Earth daily can occur during other extreme weather events (e.g., hurricanes, blizzards) and volcanic eruptions.Explore Lightning
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Being near a lightning strike—even without getting struck—can be fatalBecause animal tissue is generally more conductive than soil, electricity moving along Earth's surface after a strike tends to travel up and back down an animal's legs, discharging dangerous amounts of energy along the way, with risks increasing the farther apart the legs are. This ground current accounts for about half of all lightning-related deaths and injuries in humans. SciShowThe air around lightning can be five times hotter than the sun's surfaceAt that temperature, lightning can almost instantly boil all the water in a tree, causing it to explode! But how is that kind of energy created, and how do humans survive lightning strikes? Click the title of this resource to find out. 1440Most commercial planes get struck by lightning multiple times a yearThis piece explains why commercial aircraft rarely crash in thunderstorms, detailing how pilots use onboard radar, shared reports, and strict avoidance protocols to navigate storms that look far more dangerous on screen than in reality. Popular ScienceExplore a gallery of lightning photography taken from the Grand CanyonIn this series, award-winning photographer Adam Schallau accompanies each image with expert advice on how to capture the phenomenon successfully. Initially requiring the shutter to remain open for extended periods, today's technology includes a device called a lightning trigger, which senses incoming lightning and automatically manages the shutter. Adam Schallau PhotographyArtificial lightning can improve the yield of shiitake mushroom growersResearchers have found that shockwaves produced from lightning strikes homogenously break internal filaments called hyphae, transitioning the mushrooms from a vegetative growth to a fruiting phase. Repeated minor shocks near mushroom logs mimicked this effect. Physics WorldLightning may kill as many as 320 million trees each yearIgnoring the effects of tree loss resulting from lightning-induced wildfires, researchers at the Technical University of Munich developed a quantitative model to estimate the loss of these organisms due to cloud-to-ground strikes, based on global lightning data and forest structure. They expect the estimate to rise due to increased strikes resulting from climate change. Yale e360As of 2025, the longest lightning bolt in the world spanned several statesAlthough the average bolt measures less than 16 kilometers (10 miles), the 2017 "megaflash" spanned 829 kilometers (515 miles) from eastern Texas to Missouri. Severe thunderstorms are common in the region, where warm, humid air from the Gulf collides with cool, dry air from the north, generating atmospheric instability. NBC NewsLightning bolts are about as thick as a garden hoseThe conductive filament ranges from about 2.5 to 5.0 centimeters (1 to 2 inches), though its extreme brightness makes it appear much thicker and visible from miles away. Scars on individuals who suffer a direct strike produce Lichtenberg figures with similar maximum thickness. Stuff You Should KnowScientists have diverted the path of lightning using lasersA proof of concept for a laser protection system, which could be used to protect launchpads and airports in the future, was conducted on the Säntis mountain in northeastern Switzerland. Rapid laser pulses heated air molecules, creating a more conductive, 50-meter (164-foot) path for the electrical discharge to travel through. Smithsonian MagazineA man survived being struck by lightning seven timesRoy Sullivan worked as a park ranger when he was first struck in April 1942 while fleeing a watchtower during a thunderstorm. Nicknamed the "Spark Ranger," he would be struck six more times while driving, in his garden, working in a guardhouse, sitting in his car, walking, and on a fishing trip. Guinness World RecordsFulgurites are glass sculptures made by lightning vaporizing sandSometimes referred to as fossilized lightning, these tube-like structures are formed when high-temperature electrical currents fuse mineral grains into crystals, which can feature branching patterns resembling filaments of current. Their name derives from "fulgur," the Latin word for lightning. National Park ServiceUnderstanding ball lightning remains an area of active researchObservations of glowing orbs of light that appear during or after thunderstorms have been documented since at least the 12th century, but their rarity and short lifetimes have made their study challenging. Some theories suggest they form when lightning vaporizes pockets of gases in the air or certain materials on the ground. Discover MagazineNor'easters can produce thundersnow—lightning in blizzard conditionsAlthough thunderstorms typically require warm air to rise in updrafts and collide with heavier soft hail, which creates charge separation and eventual electrical discharge, these cyclones can replicate these conditions by churning the atmosphere through strong winds. Rarely, especially warm lakes can similarly help generate thunderstorms during the winter. SciShowOn average, every in-service airplane is struck by lightning once a yearThe average strikes per surface area per year on Earth suggest that aircraft should only be struck once every 1,000 years, based on their size, but proximity to storm clouds' high electrical fields increases strike rates. Aircraft are designed as continuous conductive shells, causing electricity to flow along their exterior and preventing internal damage. AirbusEvery day, lightning releases several Hiroshima bombs' worth of energy into the atmosphereIf all this lightning struck one location at once, the bolt would be the diameter of the center circle of a basketball court, turning the entire court into a crater. Its heat would ignite surfaces for miles around, and its shockwave would demolish buildings. xkcd's What If?Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo is considered the lightning capital of the worldSpread across 140 to 160 nights, and as many as 10 hours per night, the region where the Catatumbo River flows into the semi-enclosed bay experiences approximately 1.6 million lightning strikes annually. The frequency of strikes may originate from warm Caribbean air interacting with cooler air from the Andes. BBCThe unpredictability and brevity of lightning make lightning power impracticalWhile a typical lightning strike provides 30,000 amps at 300 million volts, the bolt only lasts about 30 microseconds. If the electrical surge could be captured—assuming one knew beforehand where it would strike—it would only provide enough electricity to power one home for about 6.4 hours. SciShowLightning rods provide a conductive pathway to safely steer massive electric currentsThe device is positioned higher above the ground to "catch" one of the many branching filaments of electrons from clouds before they make contact with other surface structures, which have been induced to have a positive charge by overhead storm clouds. The current is then sent to a conductive grid buried underground. How Stuff WorksBeing struck by lightning has a mortality rate of about 10%Near-immediate deaths are the result of electrical disruptions in the heart and nervous system, causing cardiac arrest, but severe skin burns, temporary paralysis, and blown eardrums are more common. About 74% of survivors are left with a long-term disability, which includes brain damage and changes in memory and mood. IFLScienceBetween 2006 and 2021, 444 people died from lightning strikes in the USThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that the odds of being struck by lightning in one's lifetime are one in 18,864. Participation in outdoor activities during the summer months in Florida, Texas, and Colorado increases one's risk of exposure. CDCThere are no outdoor locations that are safe from lightningIf your hair stands up amid an approaching storm, seek shelter immediately, as a local buildup of charge imbalance precedes cloud-to-ground lightning. If you are stuck outside, move to a lower altitude, such as a valley or ravine, and avoid open fields, water, and isolated tall objects. Do not lie down or crouch. NOAAThe sound of thunder can vary based on your distance from lightningThe rapid flow of electricity heats and pressurizes air, causing it to expand and produce a shockwave at each point along the bolt at multiple frequencies. As these shockwaves overlap, higher-frequency sounds, which produce a sudden crack, dissipate more quickly, while lower-frequency sounds—long booms and rumbles—travel farther. MinuteEarthAtmospheric composition and temperature impact the color of lightningJust as fire ranges from red to blue with increasing temperature, lightning's blueish-white comes from the superheating of air. Emission of light from the predominantly nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere provides a purple tint, with additional coloring caused by the scattering of light by humidity, hail, dust, and ash. CBSWatch lightning strike a building at 40,000 frames per secondWhen the built-up layer of negative charge at the bottom of clouds is sufficiently high, a network of charge filaments will emerge. If one of the filaments meets a rising strand of positively charged particles, a highly conductive path forms, and charges across all filaments move to the path, generating lightning AGUThe characteristic zigzag of lightning originates from columns of conductive oxygenEnergized electrons from the base of clouds collide with oxygen molecules, placing them in a "singlet delta state," which makes the air conductive. Collisions continue until more than 1% of nearby oxygen is in this state—about 0.00005 seconds—matching the electrical potential of the cloud and propogating electricity in a 50-meter "step." The ConversationView the various types of lightningThe most common form of lightning involves channels of electricity between oppositely charged regions within a cloud or between two clouds to reestablish electrostatic equilibrium. While cloud-to-ground lightning is understood best, research is ongoing to fully model the mechanisms behind rarer forms of lightning, such as transient luminous events. NOAALightning storms are more common in coastal and tropical regionsWater-abundant areas that receive increased solar radiation, such as those near the equator, experience increased rates of evaporation, which produce tall clouds as moisture rises, cools, and condenses. Mountain ranges can also steer air to higher altitudes, creating collisions between atmospheric particles that generate charge imbalances—the precursors to lightning. Ologies with Alie WardLightning forms when streams of rising and falling charged particles connectIn cloud-to-ground lightning, a buildup of negative charge at the bottom of clouds repels electrons on Earth's surface, leaving behind positively charged particles. When descending negatively charged air—the stepped leader—meets rising positively charged particles—the upward streamer—brightening runs up the connection, producing intense flashes known as return strokes. NOAAThe air around lightning can be five times hotter than the sun's surfaceThe rapid discharge of electricity—flowing electrons—between oppositely charged regions across a narrow filament can raise temperatures to 30,000 degrees Celsius (54,000 degrees Fahrenheit). If lightning strikes a tree, the speed of the temperature spike can almost immediately turn all its water into pressurized steam, causing it to explode. National Weather ServiceLightning results from the rapid flow of charges through the atmosphereLightning in storm clouds forms from the collisions between graupel—small hail particles—and smaller ice particles, which transfer electrons. Layers of opposing charges form as these differently sized particles rise and fall. When air can no longer insulate these layers, electricity discharges, equalizing these regions. NOAA SciJinksDust particles on Mars can generate lightningThrough triboelectric charging, sand and dust on the Martian surface can become electrified when they rub against one another, causing friction to displace electrons and create charged particles. If this matter forms a strong enough electric field, it can overcome atmospheric insulation and produce electrical discharges, resembling lightning on Earth. Astronomy MagazineLichtenberg figures capture lightning-like patterns within insulatorsWhen high-energy electrons from particle accelerators are fired into materials like acrylic, they form a charged plane before discharging into scarred patterns within the material. By evenly charging a cylindrical bottle through rotation during the irradiation process, a 3D figure of lightning in a bottle can be created. Electron ImpressionsChess can be played at lightning-fast or classical speedsTime controls shape how the game is played—from bullet matches under three minutes, to blitz games under 10, to classical contests lasting over an hour. Each format demands different skills, from rapid intuition to deep calculation. CNNThe Eye of Providence on $1 bills is a lightning rod for conspiracy theoristsThe symbol is associated with the Freemasons, one of the world’s oldest secret societies. It also appears on churches, Masonic buildings, and the great seal of the United States. BBCAs much as 35% of volcanic eruptions are accompanied by lightningColloquially referred to as "dirty lightning," the electrostatic discharge is fueled by the movement of volcanic ash and gases, which facilitate charge separation. The phenomenon was first described during Mount Vesuvius' eruption in 79 CE. ZME ScienceThe friction between moving volcanic ash and smoke can produce lightningAs this volcanic material rises, it cools and descends, and competing flows strip electrons from atoms, building up static electricity. The bursts of electrical discharge are sometimes referred to as dirty lightning and can reach temperatures exceeding 16,500 degrees Celsius (29,700 degrees Fahrenheit). AccuWeatherYou are more likely to be struck by lightning than injured on a roller coasterThe ASTM F24 Committee on Amusement Rides and Devices consists of consumer advocates, government officials, amusement park operators, ride manufacturers, and industry suppliers who work to establish a safety standard for the designs and modifications of roller coasters. The ANSI BlogWatch a lightning storm from the International Space StationWhile passing over the Alabama and Georgia regions, NASA astronauts photographed passing thunderstorms from the ISS. The illuminated clouds are described as "nebula-like formations." IFLScienceYou are 65,000 times more likely to be struck by lightning than to be hit by space trashIn 2023, about 1,500 pieces of space junk fell to Earth, with most consisting of payload fragmentation debris. The vast majority that falls back to Earth burns up before reaching the surface, making it three times less likely to be struck by space trash than by a meteorite. Deutsche WelleElectrical discharge from stressed rocks may produce lightningAlthough flashes of light in the sky likely result from storms or damaged transformers and power lines coinciding with geological events, some scientists theorize that fracto-luminescence, or earthquake lights, may be caused by discharged built-up static electricity. NOVA PBS OfficialTrack lightning strikes around the worldThe Blitzortung platform triangulates the positions of this phenomenon from stations that detect atmospheric interference in low-frequency signals that are characteristic of lightning strikes. A network of nearly 2,000 stations transmits the required data to a central server, where its software performs these calculations and generates the subsequent visualization. Blitzortung.org10 cool facts about lightningWhat happens when lightning strikes a beach? We take a look at ten interesting facts that you might not know about lightning. Met OfficeLong before grunge, Hüsker Dü blended pop's melodies and punk's speedThe Minneapolis trio began as a lightning-fast hardcore band, but they slowly became more melodic than many of their early '80s peers without sacrificing their punk edge. That combination would eventually be called a mess of names: college rock, alternative, indie, and, eventually, grunge. Trash TheoryPlasma is the most abundant form of visible matter in the universeWhen electrons are stripped from neutral atoms as a result of high-energy interactions, such as lightning strikes, the atoms become positively charged ions. The mix of these ions and negatively charged electrons, which are too energetic to recombine, is extremely electrically conductive and affected by magnetic fields. UCARWhat really happens when you tap your credit cardEvery tap sets off a lightning-fast relay. When I buy coffee with my Visa, a tiny "runner" races between the coffee shop's bank, Visa's network, and my bank—all in under a second. The catch? No money has actually moved yet. Here's what really happens behind that instant "Approved."
1440Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939 launched World War IIOn September 1, 1939, Nazi Germany launched a surprise invasion of Poland using blitzkrieg—coordinated air bombardments and armored assaults—to overwhelm Polish defenses within weeks. This lightning-strike strategy shocked the world and signaled both the start of World War II and a revolutionary shift in modern military tactics. AP ArchiveUnitarian Frank Lloyd Wright made Unity Temple to honor his own faithIn 1905, a Unitarian church in Frank Lloyd Wright's town was struck by lightning and destroyed. Wright, a Unitarian himself, was commissioned to build the replacement and constructed a simple yet radical concrete sanctuary known as Unity Temple. WTTWFentanyl is better at crossing the blood-brain barrier than other opioidsAmong opioids, fentanyl is uniquely adept at crossing the blood-brain barrier—the brain's security fence against harmful substances. This enables a lightning-fast high. It ends just as quickly, sometimes within minutes (where a heroin high lasts hours), and still results in the same withdrawal symptoms. KurzgesagtGeorge Westinghouse purchased Tesla's AC technology patents for $60,000 The seven patents in alternating current motors and power transmission formed the basis for a system of technologies including generators, transformers, and lighting. Nikola Tesla spent half the funds on a new laboratory to develop new inventions. PBSColorful thunderstorm phenomena can be viewed from the International Space StationTransient luminous events are lightning-related phenomena that occur in the atmosphere above storm clouds. These events often look like columns of red light resulting from electrical discharge, but may also appear as purple tendrils or long blue jets. NASA
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