Apr 5, 2023 · However, exactly how lightning forms has never been verified, so there is room for debate. Leading theories focus around separation of electric charge and generation of an …

Dec 11, 2025 · Lightning, the visible discharge of electricity that occurs when a region of a cloud acquires an excess electrical charge, either positive or negative, sufficient to break down the …

The Lightning Flash in Slow Motion Here’s a look at the entire lightning flash in slow motion. Notice the stepped leader, upward streamers, and return stroke followed by three dart …

The best-studied and understood form of lightning is cloud to ground (CG) lightning. Although more common, intra-cloud (IC) and cloud-to-cloud (CC) flashes are difficult to study because …

Feb 4, 2025 · Lightning is essentially a giant spark of electricity. It occurs during thunderstorms when different charges build up in the atmosphere. Here's how it works:

Lightning is the most spectacular element of a thunderstorm. Learn how lightning forms, how lightning leads to thunder, and about the types of lightning that occur.

Scientists also agree that a developing storm must produce ice for it to form lightning. The turbulent wind environment of a thunderstorm with its updrafts and downdrafts is an ideal …

Nov 12, 2025 · Lightning forms when static electricity builds in storm clouds, causing powerful discharges that reveal the electrifying science behind thunderstorms.

Lightning is produced as a result of charge separation within the atmosphere. Lightning (a spark discharge between centres of positive and negative charge) can occur within clouds, between …

Nov 23, 2025 · The stage for lightning is typically set within colossal cumulonimbus clouds, often referred to as thunderclouds. These towering behemoths can stretch over 10 miles high, …