The energy needed for thunderstorms could come from an avalanche of electrons seeded by extraterrestrial cosmic rays, a new study claims.
Scientists already knew that lightning is an electrical discharge between thunderclouds and Earth’s surface, but exactly how storm clouds obtain an electric field powerful enough to hurl a bolt has remained a mystery for centuries.
Now, a new study has used computer models to reveal that lightning strikes as the result of a powerful chain reaction that begins in outer space. The researchers published their findings July 28 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.
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