Weather - Lightning: Earth's rapid electrostatic bursts
Weather · 0:39
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge occurring between charged regions within the air, or between the atmosphere and the ground. The process releases between 200 megajoules and 7 gigajoules of energy, instantly heating surrounding air to roughly 30,000 degrees Celsius. This rapid heating causes a shock wave that produces thunder. Although commonly linked to thunderstorms, lightning also appears during volcanic eruptions. Considered an Essential Climate Variable, lightning is studied scientifically through the field known as fulminology.
Source: Wikipedia
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