Upwards lightning photo/article

[Jason Harris]

check it out:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8214290.stm

 

[Steve Dedman]

Aren't these also called sprites?

 

[Michael Nicolaou]

My understanding to this point is that there are both sprites and jets as mentioned by the article. The article deos not provides much delineation between sprites and this photographed event but here's at least one quickly found source:

http://www.albany.edu/faculty/rgk/atm101/sprite.htm

 

[cdcollura]

Good day,

I believe they are talking about sprites / blue-jets which are high-altitude discharges ABOVE the thunderstorm. Upwards lightning is different and much lower (usually ground-to-cloud opposed to cloud-to-ground).

Above: Positive "upward" lightning in Chicago (Jan 7, 2008) which is common in winter thunderstorms (ground-to-cloud).