“How Lightning Strikes Work” is one of the common queries people made by people.
Lightning is a fascinating and powerful natural phenomenon. Let me explain the process and create a visual representation to help you understand it better.
The Lightning Strike Process
Lightning forms through a series of steps involving electrical charge separation and equalization:
- Charge Separation in Cloud
- Ice particles and water droplets in thunderclouds collide
- These collisions create an electrical charge separation
- Lighter, positively charged particles rise to the top
- Heavier, negatively charged particles sink to the bottom
- Electric Field Development
- As negative charges accumulate at the cloud base, they repel negative charges on the ground
- This creates a positively charged area on the ground beneath the cloud
- The difference in charge between cloud and ground creates a strong electric field
- Step Leader Formation
- When the electric field becomes strong enough, a conductive path of ionized air (step leader) begins moving down from the cloud
- This invisible path moves in a zigzag pattern in steps of about 50 meters
- The step leader creates a path for the lightning discharge
- Connecting Leader
- As the step leader approaches the ground, positively charged leaders begin reaching upward from objects on the ground
- These upward streamers or connecting leaders are most likely to form from tall objects (trees, buildings, etc.)
- Return Stroke
- When the step leader and connecting leader meet, a complete electrical circuit forms
- A massive surge of current flows upward from the ground to the cloud
- This is called the return stroke and is what we see as the bright flash of lightning
- The current can exceed 30,000 amperes and heat the air to around 30,000°C (54,000°F)
- Thunder Production
- The extreme heating causes the air to expand explosively
- This rapid expansion creates a shock wave that we hear as thunder
- Since light travels faster than sound, we see lightning before hearing thunder
The entire process occurs in a fraction of a second, though it may appear longer as multiple return strokes can occur through the same channel.
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