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WHAT CAUSES LIGHTNING STRIKE?

April 26, 2017causes lightning strike

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WHAT CAUSES LIGHTNING STRIKE?

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What causes a lightning strike? A quick refresher course is in order. Within the cloud formation, strong updrafts and downdrafts generate high electrical charges. When the voltage reaches a sufficiently high level both cloud to cloud and ground discharges occur. Strikes occur when the ground is at positive polarity and the cloud negative region attempts to equalize with ground. Alternatively a strike can occur when the positively charged cloud top equalizes with the negative ground, or when the positive charged ground equalizes with the negative charge cloud or the negatively charged ground equalizes with the positive charged cloud top. Lightning consists of a number of components which form a multidirectional flow of charges. Peak currents can exceed 200,000 amperes (200kA) at over 30,000C for a matter of milliseconds (25-100 mS). The positively charged ions rise to the cloud top, and the negative ions migrate to the cloud base. Regions of positive charged ions also form at the cloud