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lightning

White clouds swirl above blue ocean and green land as Tropical Storm Nepartak churns through the Pacific Ocean.
Posted inNews

Lightning Tames Typhoon Intensity Forecasting

by Alka Tripathy-Lang 20 August 202119 November 2021

Typhoons regularly drench densely populated western Pacific regions, but lightning could forecast intensity more than a day before a storm’s strength peaks.

Four men at a dining table show surprise as a ball of lightning shoots in through a window.
Posted inNews

Have You Seen Ball Lightning? Scientists Want to Know About It

Jenessa Duncombe, Staff Writer by Jenessa Duncombe 15 July 202119 October 2021

Reports of ghostly spheres of light are often too qualitative. These scientists want your detailed accounts.

Artwork of high-energy lightning events in the sky
Posted inResearch Spotlights

Observations from Space and Ground Reveal Clues About Lightning

Sarah Derouin, Science Writer by Sarah Derouin 11 June 202110 March 2023

In a coordinated monitoring effort, scientists have uncovered the timing and triggering of high-energy lightning events in the sky.

Illustration of a lightning storm over volcanic land on early Earth
Posted inNews

Cloud-to-Ground Lightning May Have Struck a Key Ingredient for Life

by Jackie Rocheleau 30 April 202129 September 2021

On early Earth, rock created by lightning strikes to the ground likely held a form of phosphorus necessary for prebiotic chemistry.

上行闪电很罕见,但更常见的闪电类型可以增加上行闪电发生的可能性。
Posted inResearch Spotlights

附近闪电事件触发上行闪电

Elizabeth Thompson by Elizabeth Thompson 26 April 202113 April 2023

雷暴中的闪电以某种方式改变了电磁场,从而引发高层建筑物向上发出闪电。

Upward lightning is uncommon, but more common types of lightning can make it more likely to occur.
Posted inResearch Spotlights

Upward Lightning Takes Its Cue from Nearby Lightning Events

Elizabeth Thompson by Elizabeth Thompson 9 April 202117 August 2022

Lightning in a thunderstorm changes the electromagnetic field in a way that sparks upward lightning from tall structures.

Artist’s rendering of a thunderstorm occurring during a winter snowstorm
Posted inNews

Rare Wintertime Thunderstorms Recorded over the U.S. Gulf Coast

Katherine Kornei, Science Writer by Katherine Kornei 6 April 20212 September 2022

“Thundersnow”—thunderstorm activity accompanying a winter storm—was spotted near southern Texas earlier this year.

Lightning flashes over jagged cliffs
Posted inNews

Arctic Lightning Up 300% in One 11-Year Study

Katherine Kornei, Science Writer by Katherine Kornei 26 March 20212 September 2022

The increase may be due to climate change, researchers suggest, but the trend hasn’t been observed in other lightning data sets.

Lightning flashes over Cape Town, South Africa.
Posted inNews

More Acidic Water Might Supercharge Lightning

Rachel Fritts, Science Writer by Rachel Fritts 1 February 20212 September 2022

New research suggests ocean acidification could make lighting more intense.

Lightning strike from a thunderstorm
Posted inNews

Decrease in Lightning Recorded over the Lower 48

Katherine Kornei, Science Writer by Katherine Kornei 21 September 20209 September 2022

Researchers mining data from the National Lightning Detection Network found a 32% decrease in lightning counts in May and June 2020 compared with previous years.

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