The Fountains Of Lightning That Rise In The Sky

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 6-26-2003 | Roger Highfield

[blam]

The fountains of lightning that rise in the sky

By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
(Filed: 26/06/2003)

Huge discharges of lightning that flash from the tops of thunderclouds for distances of 40 miles or more, have been observed for the first time on Earth.

The dramatic discovery of a new class of lightning adds to a collection of strange atmospheric electrics, with evocative names such as blue jets, sprites and elves, that have been documented by scientists in the past few years.

Though there have been anecdotal reports by pilots of blobs, jets and other unusual effects for decades, scientists have only been able to study them recently thanks to cameras that work at very low light levels.

The newly observed gigantic jets, shaped like vast carrots and trees, carry powerful currents that contribute to the Earth's "global electric circuit" and alter the chemistry of the atmosphere, according to a study published today in the journal Nature by Dr Han-Tzong Su, of National Cheng Kung University, and colleagues in Taiwan.

The team observed vast electrical discharges that reached the ionosphere at altitudes of 55 miles after starting out from the top of the thunderclouds.

After studying five such discharges over the South China Sea, Dr Su estimated that the biggest occupied a volume equivalent to 10,000 million times that of an Olympic swimming pool.

The newly-discovered jets are the mirror-image of the lightning that flashes from thunderclouds to the ground, he added.

In recent years, scientists have seen blue jets dance on the tops of thunderclouds, red carrot shaped sprites that flash between altitudes of 20 and 55 miles, and red pancake-shaped "elves" at the base of the ionosphere, at altitudes of 55 miles.

Dr Su said these atmospheric phenomena will become more common as a result of global warming.

1 June 2003: Benjamin Franklin 'faked kite experiment'

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Related reports

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External links

National Cheng Kung University

Nature

Lightning - National Geographic

[Bigg Red]

Way cool.

[skr]

Wow! God makes such nifty stuff!

[Mike Darancette]

Shocking!

[firewalk]

bttt

[dighton]

A must-read for the Viking Kitty Cult.

[redbaiter]

contribute to the Earth's "global electric circuit" and alter the chemistry of the atmosphere

Uh-oh, I thought for a minute there Dr Han was in for a little talking-to from the Kyoto crowd, a little reminder that it's the Americans and their SUVs that alter the Earth's atmosphere. But I see he made a graceful recovery in that last line, the one about this stuff increasing due to global warming.

But in that connection I have to ask the obvious question: If we're just now seeing all this stuff, how can we possibly know it 'will increase because of global warming'?

[Mr. Jeeves]

Dr Su said these atmospheric phenomena will become more common as a result of global warming.

Proper observance of Guardian Rule #1: "It's always America's fault."

[D-fendr]

Fascinating stuff.

'course this guy just couldn't resist:

Dr Su said these atmospheric phenomena will become more common as a result of global warming.

Go fly a kite, Su, preferrably in a thunderstorm at 50,000 ft.

[blam]

"If we're just now seeing all this stuff, how can we possibly know it 'will increase because of global warming'?"

I'll make a guess. The intensity of lightning increases going from north to south and it is believed to be due to the warmer climes. If the whole world is warmer, then presumably all lightning will increase in intensity creating more of these things. How about that?

[steplock]

This has been known for a number of years by ALL reputable astronomy and meteorology scientists.

It is NOT brand new!

[steplock]

RED SPRITES AND BLUE JETS
The principal difficulty in understanding the origin of lightning is likely to be the assumption that
the Earth is a closed electrical system with no input from the solar plasma environment
via the plasmasphere (magnetosphere in the conventional lexicon).

http://www.pacificsites.com/~cmorford/Her_Sci/E_U/Sprites_Jets.htm

As long ago as the McMaster symposium in 1974, it was reported by a physicist from Cornell University that a glow discharge between the ionosphere and the centre of a hurricane was observed from an orbiting satellite.

-=-=-=-

I am beginning to HATE these lying left-wing radical extremists!

[blam]

Please correct my error, this article is from The Telegraph, not The Guardian, thanks.

[William Terrell]

In addition to longer growing seasons, lower heating bills, less death from hard winter weather, costs savings on construction methods, irrigation of coastlines creating more saltwater marsh for seaffod supply, ridding ourselves of the ice cap so it won't happen again, more nothern and southern available rich soil and more areas where fig trees can grow, we get cool fireworks, too.

[The Radical Capitalist]

At last, I thought ... an article from The Guardian I can read without choking on anti-Americanism or political correctness. Until I came to this ...

Dr Su said these atmospheric phenomena will become more common as a result of global warming.

Doh!  I can just imagine how the Brit journalist snuck it in there:

 

So, Doc, these things only happen during thunderstorms, right?

Yes, that's right.

And thunderstorms only happen when it's warm, right?

Correct.

So with global warming, there'll be more thunderstorms, and that means more unusual electrical discharges into the air, right?

Well, I suppose so.

 

The only thing missing is the Guardian headline: Bush Failure to Sign Kyoto Leads to Freak Atmospheric Phenomenon!

[blam]

"This has been known for a number of years by ALL reputable astronomy and meteorology scientists. "

I know. I've posted a number of other artic;es here on FR.

[Taiwan Bocks]

Glory to God!

[glorgau]

Hmmmm.... I wonder if these electrical discharges create ozone? And if so, are the atmospheric models for ozone depletion being updated?

[Bigg Red]

If we're just now seeing all this stuff, how can we possibly know it 'will increase because of global warming'?

^^

I think it's because of various changes in atmospheric thermal properties, the physics of which is far beyond my scope of knowledge.

Pretty sure there is scientific agreement on the fact that there has been warming; the disagreements come in assessing the cause of the warming, which we, of course, know is Bush and his conservative judicial nominees.

[Bigg Red]

LOL! We were thinking alike; see my last sentence in #19.