How is lightning initiated in thunderclouds? This is difficult to answer – how do you measure electric fields inside large, dangerously charged clouds? It was discovered, more or less by coincidence, ...

A Penn State-led research team has unraveled the long-standing mystery of how lightning begins inside thunderclouds. Their findings offer the first quantitative, physics-based explanation for ...

In the recent edition of Nature, groundbreaking results about the gamma-ray emissions produced during thunderstorms are presented. Overall, these findings reveal that gamma-ray emission from ...

Lightning has captivated scientists for centuries, but despite extensive research, the precise atmospheric conditions that trigger a lightning strike within thunderclouds have remained a profound ...

The Role of Electric Fields Inside Thunderclouds Inside a thundercloud, electric charge builds up as ice particles, water droplets, and air move violently. These motions create powerful electric ...

A NASA-funded researcher has discovered that tiny airborne particles of pollution may modify developing thunderclouds by increasing the quantity and reducing the size of ice crystals within them.

Thunderclouds—and the plane-racking turbulence that goes on inside them—are a constant menace to a pilot. He cannot always tell whether the cloud ahead is dangerous or not. Last week both the airlines ...