DW Documentary on Lightning

This is really interesting. 

It seems that the electric field in a cloud is insufficient to cause a spark. The hypothesis is that it is only the arrival of a cosmic ray that raises the field gradient sufficiently to trigger a flash of lightning. 

Although they're not clear about it, I think they are saying that these precursor "streamers" are following the cascade of particles in a cosmic ray.


See The Action Lab - Cloud Chambers and the Mott Problem and also Huygens Optics - [Updated] DIY Compton Scattering & X-ray Coincidence Measurements.

23:14 A single lightning strike produces about 7Kg of nitrates. Apparently 20% of the naturally occurring nitrates are produced in electrical storms. 

31:03 About Schumann resonance. See Angela Collier Building A Radio Telescope in Her Back Yard. 

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