But as the electric field becomes strong enough, the normally insulating air is transformed into a conductive plasma and the cloud discharges itself to the Earth through a lightning strike.

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 …

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 …

When the opposite charges build up enough, this insulating capacity of the air breaks down and there is a rapid discharge of electricity that we know as lightning. The flash of lightning temporarily equalizes …

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 clouds …

Lightning happens when the negative charges (electrons) in the bottom of the cloud are attracted to the positive charges (protons) in the ground. The accumulation of electric charges must be great enough …

Discover the science behind lightning, its causes, and why it's one of the most powerful natural forces on Earth. Read on to learn more about its physics today!

When you think about lightning, you likely envision a sudden, blinding flash across the sky, but there's far more happening behind the scenes. Lightning results from complex processes involving electrical …

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:

Jan 30, 2014 · Despite being one of the most familiar and widely recognized natural phenomena, lightning remains relatively poorly understood. Even the most basic qu…