Eternal Sunshine. Lightning of the Catatumbo.

mila.health (39)in #nature • 7 years ago

Hello dear friends, this time I will talk to you little, I want you to enjoy these beautiful images of a natural phenomenon of my beloved land, The Lightning of the Catatumbo.

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For the inhabitants of the southern zone of the beautiful Lake of Maracaibo in Zulia state, Venezuela, contemplate night after night the scene of natural light that is formed specifically on the confluence of the Zulia and Catatumbo rivers (Catatumbo Municipality), in the Congo Mirador (Town of the South of the Lake) and on the Ciénagas de Juan Manuel National Park, it is a unique celebration, a celebration.
According to scientific research, this natural phenomenon is the main generator of ozone in the world, with a contribution of 10%, capable of producing 1 million 176 thousand lightning bolts per year. The energy produced in each discharge could light up to 100 million light bulbs, which means that every 15 minutes of activity would be enough to light all the bulbs in South America.

The Wari Indians offer a curious explanation of lightning: according to them, it is due to the gathering of millions of fireflies that pay tribute to the creation's parents.
Thanks to the frequency and brightness of its beam, visible up to 400 kilometers away, the storm has been used as a guide by sailors since colonial times, earning the nickname "Faro de Maracaibo" and a seat on the flag and coat of arms of his state, Zulia.

The phenomenon occurs between April and November, where for 260 nights, the set of electrical storms adorn the sky of western Venezuela and part of Colombia. From there comes the name Catatumbo lightning, because from a distance seems a single storm, even from) you can appreciate this show.

The origin of the formation of Catatumbo lightning must be sought in the trade winds coming from northwest-southeast direction, which when entering the depression where the lake collides with the Sierra de Perijá (border between Colombia and Venezuela) and create masses of air with low pressure in the south of the area, on the water mirror created by the swamps.

The shock with the winds that advance from the Andes provokes the storms and the consequent lightning, by the electrical discharges on ionized gases, specifically the methane product of the decomposition of organic matter in the marshes and that, being lighter than the air, ascend easily to the clouds.
The Guinness Record for the Catatumbo Lightning Zone as the "region with the highest concentration of Lightning on Earth" is included in the new edition of the 2016 Guinness Book of Records.