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lightning strikes

The varying composition of a single bolt of lightning

April 26, 2023
The varying composition of a single bolt of lightning
A stylized reconstruction of lightning based on Bestard’s data, with 3D rendering from Alice Roux. Credit: Damien Bestard, Alice Roux

Until recently, scientists assumed lightning had a homogeneous distribution of energy inside its channel. But researchers like Damien Bestard, a PhD student with the Sorbonne Université have found that the composition of each bolt is quite variable. Bestard presented his findings at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly EGU23 on Monday (April 24). As part of his research, Bestard measure ...[Read More]

GeoSciences Column: Don’t throw out that diary – medieval journals reveal the secret of lightning

December 8, 2017
GeoSciences Column: Don’t throw out that diary – medieval journals reveal the secret of lightning
‘Lightning Below the Summit’, 36 Views of Mt Fuji, Hokusai c. 1830 (Wikimedia Commons)

When 17th century Japanese princess Shinanomiya Tsuneko took note of an afternoon storm in her diary one humid Kyoto summer, she could not have imagined her observations would one day help resolve a longstanding scientific conundrum. Statistical analysis of her journals has revealed a link between lightning strikes and the solar wind – proving that your teenage diary could contain good scien ...[Read More]