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Lightning is a natural phenomenon consisting of electrostatic discharges occurring through the atmosphere between two electrically charged regions. One or both regions are within the atmosphere, with the second region sometimes occurring on the ground. Following the lightning, the regions become partially or wholly electrically neutralized.
Lightning involves a near-instantaneous release of energy on a scale averaging between 200 megajoules and 7 gigajoules.[1][2][3] The air around the lightning flash rapidly heats to temperatures of approximately 30,000°C.[4] There is an emission of electromagnetic radiation across a wide range of wavelengths, some visible as a bright flash. Lightning also causes thunder, a sound from the shock wave which develops as heated gases in the vicinity of the discharge experience a sudden increase in pressure.
The most common occurrence of a lightning event is known as a thunderstorm, though they can also commonly occur in other types of energetic weather systems, such as volcanic eruptions. Lightning influences the global atmospheric electrical circuit and atmospheric chemistry and is a natural ignition source of wildfires. Lightning is considered an Essential Climate Variable by the World Meteorological Organisation,[5] and its scientific study is called fulminology.
- ^ Maggio, Christopher R.; Marshall, Thomas C.; Stolzenburg, Maribeth (2009). "Estimations of charge transferred and energy released by lightning flashes in short bursts". Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. 114 (D14): D14203. Bibcode:2009JGRD..11414203M. doi:10.1029/2008JD011506. ISSN 0148-0227.
- ^ "SEVERE WEATHER 101 - Lightning Basics". nssl.noaa.gov. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
- ^ "Lightning Facts". factsjustforkids.com. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
- ^ US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "How Hot Is Lightning?". www.weather.gov. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
- ^ "Essential Climate Variables". World Meteorological Organization. November 13, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2025.