180 amazing lightning photos

Lightning is an atmospheric discharge of electricity, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms. In the atmospheric electrical discharge, a leader of a bolt of lightning can travel at speeds of 60,000 m/s, and can reach temperatures approaching 30,000 °C (54,000 °F), hot enough to fuse silica sand into petrified lightning, known scientifically as glass channels or fulgurites which are normally hollow and can extend some distance into the ground. There are some 16 million lightning storms in the world every year. For an American, the chance of being struck by lightning is approximately 576,000 to 1 and the chance of actually being killed by lightning is approximately 2,320,000 to 1. Lightning can also occur within the ash clouds from volcanic eruptions, or can be caused by violent forest fires which generate sufficient dust to create a static charge.How lightning initially forms is still a matter of debate: Scientists have studied root causes ranging from atmospheric perturbations (wind, humidity, friction, and atmospheric pressure) to the impact of solar wind and accumulation of charged solar particles. Ice inside a cloud is thought to be a key element in lightning development, and may cause a forcible separation of positive and negative charges within the cloud, thus assisting in the formation of lightning.Lightning produces thunder, and the volume the thunder sounds like depends on how much the distance is from the hearer. If lightning is far, it will produce a rumble of thunder. If the lightning is near, it may sound like a loud crackle, then becoming a dissipating rumble.

If the lightning strike gets closer, it will quickly turn into a louder crackle of thunder, sounding like a big “bom!” of thunder, quickly telling the hearer that the lightning strike was very close.

The lightning’s thunder can give the hearer a warning that lightning strikes may be produced in that area.

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