22 Facts About Cloud-to-ground lightning

Three main kinds of lightning are distinguished by where they occur: either inside a single thundercloud, between two clouds, or between a cloud and the ground .

On Earth, the Cloud-to-ground lightning frequency is approximately 44 times per second, or nearly 1.

Also, given the very low probability of Cloud-to-ground lightning striking the same point repeatedly and consistently, scientific inquiry is difficult even in areas of high CG frequency.

Three primary types of Cloud-to-ground lightning are defined by the "starting" and "ending" points of a flash channel.

Cloud-to-ground lightning is a lightning discharge between a thundercloud and the ground.

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Cloud-to-ground lightning is either positive or negative, as defined by the direction of the conventional electric current between cloud and ground.

Contrary to popular belief, positive Cloud-to-ground lightning flashes do not necessarily originate from the anvil or the upper positive charge region and strike a rain-free area outside of the thunderstorm.

Positive Cloud-to-ground lightning strikes tend to be much more intense than their negative counterparts.

Positive Cloud-to-ground lightning produces both higher peak currents and longer continuing currents, making them capable of heating surfaces to much higher levels which increases the likelihood of a fire being ignited.

Positive Cloud-to-ground lightning has been shown to trigger the occurrence of upward Cloud-to-ground lightning flashes from the tops of tall structures and is largely responsible for the initiation of sprites several tens of km above ground level.

Positive Cloud-to-ground lightning tends to occur more frequently in winter storms, as with thundersnow, during intense tornadoes and in the dissipation stage of a thunderstorm.

Consequently, a Cloud-to-ground lightning strike observed at a very close distance will be accompanied by a sudden clap of thunder, with almost no perceptible time lapse, possibly accompanied by the smell of ozone .

The times at which a pulse from a given Cloud-to-ground lightning discharge arrives at several receivers can be used to locate the source of the discharge with a precision on the order of metres.

The intense currents of a Cloud-to-ground lightning discharge create a fleeting but very strong magnetic field.

Lightning-induced magnetic anomalies can be mapped in the ground, and analysis of magnetized materials can confirm Cloud-to-ground lightning was the source of the magnetization and provide an estimate of the peak current of the Cloud-to-ground lightning discharge.

PaleoCloud-to-ground lightning refers to the remnants of ancient Cloud-to-ground lightning activity studied in fields such as historical geology, geoarchaeology, and fulminology.

Some studies have speculated that Cloud-to-ground lightning activity played a crucial role in the development of not only Earth's early atmosphere but early life.

In many cultures, Cloud-to-ground lightning has been viewed as part of a deity or a deity in and of itself.

Similarly, "A bolt from the blue" refers to something totally unexpected, and "A person being struck by Cloud-to-ground lightning" is an imaginative or comedic metaphor for someone to experience a once in a lifetime, striking, sudden Cloud-to-ground lightning-speed revelation, similar to an epiphany or an enlightenment.

Some European languages have a separate word for Cloud-to-ground lightning which strikes the ground ; often it is a cognate of the English word "rays".

The German word Blitzkrieg, which means "Cloud-to-ground lightning war", was a major offensive strategy of the German army during World War II.

Deadliest single direct Cloud-to-ground lightning strike occurred when 21 people died as they huddled for safety in a hut that was hit .