Lightning's Path: Upwards Trek Explained

does lighting travel up

Lightning is a natural phenomenon that occurs when there is an electrostatic discharge between two electrically charged regions in the atmosphere. This can happen within the same cloud, between two clouds, or between a cloud and the ground. Lightning can travel both upwards and downwards, depending on the type of lightning. Cloud-to-ground lightning, which is the best-known type, starts from the sky and moves downward, while ground-to-cloud lightning begins from a tall object on the ground and moves upward. The direction of lightning is influenced by the charges of the regions involved, with positive charges moving upward and negative charges moving downward.

Characteristics Values
Direction Both upward and downward
Nature Electrical discharge
Occurrence Between two electrically charged regions
Types Cloud-to-ground, ground-to-cloud, intra-cloud, cloud-to-cloud
Most common type Cloud-to-ground
Most dangerous type Positive lightning

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Lightning travels both up and down

Lightning is a huge electrical discharge that occurs in thunderstorms. It can travel in both directions, from the sky downwards and from the ground upwards.

Lightning occurs between two electrically charged regions, with at least one of the regions being in the atmosphere. The phenomenon can occur within the same cloud, between two clouds, or between a cloud and the ground. The latter is known as a lightning strike or cloud-to-ground lightning and is the least common type of lightning, but it poses the greatest risk to life and property.

A typical cloud-to-ground lightning flash begins when a series of negative charges, called a stepped leader, moves downward from the bottom of a storm cloud towards the Earth. This makes the ground positively charged. As the negative charges approach the ground, there is an upward stream of positive charges. When the two streams meet, an initial flash occurs, and a channel forms, allowing electricity to flow between the cloud and the ground. This happens very quickly and appears as a single brilliant flash, but high-speed photography shows several bolts.

The upward stream of positive charges is called a "streamer". When a stepped leader approaches the ground, the presence of opposite charges on the ground enhances the strength of the electric field. The electric field is strongest on grounded objects whose tops are closest to the base of the thundercloud, such as trees and tall buildings. If the electric field is strong enough, a positively charged ionic channel, or upward streamer, can develop from these points.

The vast majority of people who are struck by lightning survive, but they may suffer long-lasting neurological damage. Lightning strikes can cause cardiac arrest and severe burns.

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Cloud-to-ground lightning

A typical cloud-to-ground lightning flash starts inside a storm cloud and moves downward. It begins as a bidirectional leader with a positive end and a negative end that propagate and branch in opposite directions. The negative end of this bidirectional leader heads towards the ground in a sequence of spurts, causing the ground to become positively charged. As the negative charges approach the ground, there is an upward stream of positive charges from taller objects in the area, such as trees or telephone poles. When the two streams meet, an initial flash occurs, and a channel forms so that electricity can flow between the cloud and the ground. This return stroke travels about 60,000 miles per second back towards the cloud and is what we see as a lightning streak.

The whole process occurs extremely quickly, in about one-millionth of a second, and often repeats itself several times along the same path, which is why we see lightning flicker. While the downward-moving leader is invisible to the human eye, the return stroke is a brilliant flash of light.

It is important to note that lightning can also travel from the ground up to the cloud. This type of lightning, called ground-to-cloud lightning, is less common and usually associated with strikes to tall structures, such as towers and skyscrapers.

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Ground-to-cloud lightning

Lightning, in general, is a huge electrical discharge that occurs due to vigorous motions during thunderstorms. It can travel within the same cloud, between clouds, or between clouds and the ground. Cloud-to-ground lightning is the best-known type and poses the greatest risk. However, in-cloud lightning discharges are more common and are not as hazardous.

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Positive lightning

There are six different mechanisms that can result in the formation of positive lightning:

  • Vertical wind shear displacing the upper positive charge region of a thundercloud, exposing it to the ground below.
  • The loss of lower-charged regions in the dissipating stage of a thunderstorm, leaving the primary positive charge region.
  • A complex arrangement of charge regions in a thundercloud, resulting in an inverted dipole or inverted tripole with the main negative charge region above the main positive charge region.
  • An unusually large lower positive charge region in the thundercloud.
  • Cutoff of an extended negative leader from its origin, creating a new bidirectional leader where the positive end strikes the ground.
  • The initiation of a downward positive branch from an intra-cloud lightning flash.
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Negative lightning

In a typical negative lightning strike, a bidirectional leader with a positive and a negative end forms inside a storm cloud. As the ends propagate and branch in opposite directions, the negative end begins to move downward towards the ground. This is known as the "stepped leader". When the tip of the stepped leader nears the ground, one or more upward-moving leaders, called "streamers", initiate from tall objects on the ground. These streamers carry a positive charge. When the downward-moving negative leader and the upward-moving positive streamer meet, they create a conductive path for the lightning strike, resulting in a tremendous flow of current that brightly illuminates the channel.

Frequently asked questions

The answer is both. There are distinct types of lightning strikes that can travel in either direction: cloud-to-ground lightning and ground-to-cloud lightning.

Cloud-to-ground lightning is the best-known type of lightning and it poses the greatest risk. It starts from the sky and heads downward. A typical cloud-to-ground lightning bolt begins as negative charges travel toward the ground in a sequence of spurts. This makes the ground positively charged. As the negative charges approach the ground, there is an upward stream of positive charges. When the two streams meet, an initial flash occurs and a channel forms so that electricity can flow between the cloud and the ground.

Ground-to-cloud lightning begins from a tall ground-based object and moves upward. This type of lightning is common with strikes to towers and skyscrapers.

If you're outdoors during a lightning storm, it's important to remember the safety rule that lightning experts agree on: "When thunder roars, go indoors" to a building with plumbing and wires or into a metal vehicle with the windows rolled up.

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