Check it out - Scientific American Lightning Article.

[Greg Campbell]

The May Scientific American has an article by Florida Tech physicist Joseph Dwyer, discussing the initiation and propogation of lightning as it creates a channel through the atmosphere. While not up to the high standards of pre-90's SciAm articles, the piece is informative and well worth reading.

-Greg

 

[Susan Strom]

Sounds like a must read...I'll check it out for sure!

 

[Darren Addy]

Thanks for the heads-up on the article. It sounds very interesting!

SCIAM's teaser to the article is here. Of related interest: Thunderstorm Research Shocks Conventional Theories; Florida Tech Physicist Throws Open Debate On Lightning's Cause.

Darren Addy
Kearney, NE

 

[Nic Wilson]

It is true that the electric fields necessary for initial electrical breakdown in thunderstorms have never been measured by electric field meters. In fact, except for a few anomolous readings, we are off by atleast an order of magnitude. The most likely hypothesize is that corona point charge is so localized that it is impossible to actually measure the electric field necessary for initial electrical breakdown and lightning. New theories have applied quantam physics and suggested that cosmic rays provide the electron excitment necessary for acceleration and initiation of breakdown.

For the foreseeable future the traditional mix of inductive and non-inductive charging people and the cosmic ray believers will duke it out for which theory explains the initiation of lightning. It is just too difficult and dangerous to get in-situ observations of lightning and to understand the exact processes that are occurring to initiate it. With the advent of dual-pol radar it has given extreme confidence that non-inductive graupel-ice interactions are a pre-requisite for lightning initiation, but this still does not satisfy the threshold necessary for the breakeven field and lightning initiation....this is why I believe that lightning will continue to gain popularity in meteorological research in the coming years. AMS has taken notice by holding the 1st annual Meteorological Applications of Lightning Conference at the national meeting in San Diego back in January.