The Mystery of Cloud Electrification

By Robert Black, John Hallett

How precipitation develops, evolves and is moved by airflow at different levels may explain hurricanes' lack of lightning

Physics Climatology

Current Issue

This Article From Issue

November-December 1998

Volume 86, Number 6
Page 526

DOI: 10.1511/1998.43.526

Poor Captain Nemo met a stroke of bad luck in the Gulf Stream: He and his crew aboard the Nautilus encountered a rare type of hurricane—one with abundant electrical activity. A Midwest squall line can generate lightning over an extended period at a rate of more than a stroke per second; a hurricane, on the other hand, rarely produces a stroke more often than every 10 minutes. Why the difference?

Layne Kennedy / Corbis

To access the full article, please log in or subscribe.

American Scientist Comments and Discussion

To discuss our articles or comment on them, please share them and tag American Scientist on social media platforms. Here are links to our profiles on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

If we re-share your post, we will moderate comments/discussion following our comments policy.