Direct lightning strikes cause minimal damage to Dipteryx oleifera. But these same strikes effectively kill parasitic vines and neighboring trees that compete with the species for light and nutrients.
lightning
Posted inScience Updates
A New View of Gamma Rays from Thunderclouds
Observations from high-flying aircraft revealed that thunderclouds act as natural particle accelerators, emitting energetic electromagnetic radiation more often than scientists expected.
Posted inNews
Large Outdoor Gatherings Expose Event-Goers to Severe Weather
Researchers pinpointed the riskiest events in terms of lightning and tornado exposure by mining data from more than 16,000 large outdoor gatherings.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Rapid Thunderstorm Charging Produces Strong Gamma‐Ray Glows
A new study explains how thunderstorm electric fields produce strong gamma‐ray glows with oscillating gamma‐ray rates, and that these oscillations develop into intense pulse trains that closely resemble terrestrial gamma-ray flashes.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Lightning Initiating at High Altitudes May Develop Continuously
Recent radio observations reveal a new mode of initial lightning development in the form of continuous initial breakdown burst of several kilometers in length at high altitudes within thunderstorms.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Phased-Array Radar Detection of Electrically Aligned Ice Crystals
A new method for observing electrically aligned ice crystals in localized storms can detect the onset of electrification and lightning in developing storms.
Posted inNews
Lightning Struck Down as Source of a Venus Whistler
Whistlers were a key piece of evidence in favor of Venusian lightning. New measurements question the connection.
Posted inNews
Ocean Vessels May Trigger Lightning Strikes
Previous research indicated aerosols in ship exhaust could enhance lightning. New research indicates the ships themselves may be to blame as well.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Wet Conditions Delay Wildfire Detection
When accompanied by a considerable amount of rainfall, ignition of wildfire by lightning over forested land may not be detected until days later.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Lightning-Caused Wildfires are 80 Percent More Likely Under Dry Vegetation
Mimicking a randomized control trial of wildfires, scientists use satellites to uncover the key role of vegetation dryness in wildfire risk, aiding wildfire management and preparedness in California.