Lightning
Introduction
The Lightning process was present on earth long before life evolved on our planet about three billion years ago [1]. Harland and Hacker (1996) reported on fossil glassy tube, referred to as a Fulgurite created by lighting 250 million years ago [2].
Extreme weather phenomena have always been one of the humans profound interests and fascinations. This is apparent in the different mythologies impersonating the God of Thunder and Weather from the time in ancient Egypt (Typhon), China (Tien Mu) and India (Indra) to the ancient Greek times of which Zeus, whose symbol is a lightning flash, is the most famous [3].
For the first time, all ancient concepts about lightning are decline by Benjamin Franklin after completing his experiments and observations on electricity were imperative in the history of science.
Franklin showed that lightning was a discharge of static electricity, there was little improvement in theoretical understanding of lightning (in particular how it was generated) for more than 150 years. Nowadays lightning is considered as an atmospheric discharge of electricity, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms and during lightning strikes temperature can reach approximately 30,000 0C (54,000 0F) which is hot then the temperature of the surface of the sun [4].
There is estimated to be around 2,000 lightning storm active around the global at one time creating over 100 lightning strikes per second. These thunderstorms create a potential difference of 200,000 to 500,000 volt between Earth`s surface and ionosphere [5].
It commonly occurs during summer. The burst of lightning is pure electricity and the scientists do not fully agree what actually causes the electrical charge to disperse. The prominent process of formation of charge in clouds and cause of lightning is warm air which heated by the sun is produce moist air, warm air raise as gain height the moisture cool and condenses to form clouds. These clouds grow and merge into larger one rising all the time some of the water drops become too heavy for the updraft of air to left and falling rain and some of the drops lifted up by the powerful air current high into the cold upper region where they freeze into the tiny ice crystal. As the cloud hits the base of the stratosphere it spread outside ways to form the annual shape typical of thunderclouds. (about clouds)
Some ice crystals build in size to form small hill stones scientists believes that is these hill stone for back through the raising ice crystal millions of collisions occur. These collisions build up an electric charge which is stored in the clouds.
References
[1]Lightning physics and effects (book)
[2]Harland, W.B., & Hacker, J.L.F. 1966. Fossil lightning strikes 250 million years ago. Adv. Sci. 22, 663–671
[3] On the science of lightning (book)
[4] Benjamin Franklin and the first lightning conductors
[5] http://www.aharfield.co.uk/lightning-protection-services/about-lightning