The process that causes lightning bolts to form is still a mystery. One theory states that cosmic rays play a role by ionizing the clouds, and the free electrons start a high-energy chain reaction that discharges into a lightning bolt. There is new evidence to help back up this theory. Radio waves from nearly 4,000 lightning strikes were analyzed and appear to match the model. There are some other inconsistencies to be worked out, but this may be a step in the right direction toward understanding lightning. More info: bit.ly/16OFUO0 Photo credit: Chris Kotsiopoulos via National Geographic
Posted on: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 02:52:04 +0000
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