Editing Lightning (section)

=== Atmospheric phenomena in which lightning occurs ===
Lightning primarily occurs when warm air is mixed with colder air masses,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g1foWWN5odwC&q=Lightning+occurs+when+warm+air+is+mixed+with+colder+air+masses&pg=PA90|title=Sprites, Elves and Intense Lightning Discharges|last1=Füllekrug|first1=Martin|last2=Mareev|first2=Eugene A.|last3=Rycroft|first3=Michael J.|date=May 1, 2006|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=9781402046285|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171104190958/https://books.google.com/books?id=g1foWWN5odwC&pg=PA90&dq=Lightning+occurs+when+warm+air+is+mixed+with+colder+air+masses&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiV44XT9uXUAhVJ7mMKHb3pBUoQ6AEIMDAC#v=onepage&q=Lightning%20occurs%20when%20warm%20air%20is%20mixed%20with%20colder%20air%20masses&f=false|archive-date=November 4, 2017|bibcode=2006seil.book.....F}}</ref> resulting in atmospheric disturbances necessary for polarizing the atmosphere.<ref name="Volland1995">{{cite book | editor = Hans Volland | date = 1995 | title = Handbook of Atmospheric Electrodynamics | publisher = CRC Press | page = 204 | isbn = 978-0-8493-8647-3 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=MNPPh7B3WTIC|author1=Rinnert, K. |chapter=9: Lighting Within Planetary Atmospheres|quote=The requirements for the production of lightning within an atmosphere are the following: (1) a sufficient abundance of appropriate material for electrification, (2) the operation of a microscale electrification process to produce classes of particles with different signs of charge and (3) a mechanism to separate and to accumulate particles according to their charge.}}</ref> The disturbances result in [[storm]]s, and when those storms also result in lightning and thunder, they are called a [[thunderstorm]].

Lightning can also occur during [[dust storm]]s, [[forest fires]], [[tornado]]es, [[volcano|volcanic eruptions]], and even in the cold of winter, where the lightning is known as [[thundersnow]].<ref>[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/02/100203-volcanoes-lightning/ New Lightning Type Found Over Volcano?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209015048/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/02/100203-volcanoes-lightning/ |date=February 9, 2010 }}. News.nationalgeographic.com (February 2010). Retrieved on June 23, 2012.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/1998/98_06_11.html|title=Bench collapse sparks lightning, roiling clouds|access-date=October 7, 2012|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=June 11, 1998|work=Volcano Watch|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114172155/http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/1998/98_06_11.html|archive-date=January 14, 2012}}</ref> [[tropical cyclone|Hurricanes]] typically generate some lightning, mainly in the rainbands as much as {{convert|160|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the center.<ref>Pardo-Rodriguez, Lumari (Summer 2009) [http://nldr.library.ucar.edu/repository/assets/soars/SOARS-000-000-000-193.pdf Lightning Activity in Atlantic Tropical Cyclones: Using the Long-Range Lightning Detection Network (LLDN)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130309085405/http://nldr.library.ucar.edu/repository/assets/soars/SOARS-000-000-000-193.pdf |date=March 9, 2013 }}. MA Climate and Society, Columbia University Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science Program.</ref><ref>[https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2006/09jan_electrichurricanes/ Hurricane Lightning] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815013425/https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2006/09jan_electrichurricanes/ |date=August 15, 2017 }}, NASA, January 9, 2006.</ref><ref>[http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/committees/polcom/2009spring/statusreports/BusingerS09.pdf The Promise of Long-Range Lightning Detection in Better Understanding, Nowcasting, and Forecasting of Maritime Storms] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130309085405/http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/committees/polcom/2009spring/statusreports/BusingerS09.pdf |date=March 9, 2013 }}. Long Range Lightning Detection Network</ref>

Intense forest fires, such as those seen in the [[2019–20 Australian bushfire season]], can create their own weather systems that can produce lightning (also called Fire Lightning) and other weather phenomena.<ref name="ABC / Ceranic">{{Cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-28/bushfire-storms-can-spark-fire-tornadoes-dry-lightning-and-more/10561832 |author=Ceranic, Irena |title=Fire tornadoes and dry lightning are just the start of the nightmare when a bushfire creates its own storm |date=November 28, 2020 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref> Intense heat from a fire causes air to rapidly rise within the smoke plume, causing the formation of [[pyrocumulonimbus]] clouds. Cooler air is drawn in by this turbulent, rising air, helping to cool the plume. The rising plume is further cooled by the lower atmospheric pressure at high altitude, allowing the moisture in it to condense into cloud. Pyrocumulonimbus clouds form in an unstable atmosphere. These weather systems can produce [[Dry thunderstorm|dry lightning]], [[fire tornado]]es, intense winds, and dirty hail.<ref name="ABC / Ceranic" />

As well as the [[atmospheric thermodynamics|thermodynamic]] and [[Meteorology#Dynamic meteorology|dynamic]] conditions of the atmosphere, [[aerosol]] (e.g. dust or smoke) composition is thought to influence the frequency of lightning flashes in a storm.<ref name="wang2018">{{cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=Qianqian |last2=Li |first2=Zhanqing |last3=Guo |first3=Jianping |last4=Zhao |first4=Chuanfeng |last5=Cribb |first5=Maureen |title=The climate impact of aerosols on the lightning flash rate: is it detectable from long-term measurements? |journal=Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |date=6 September 2018 |volume=18 |issue=17 |pages=12797–12816 |doi=10.5194/acp-18-12797-2018|doi-access=free |bibcode=2018ACP....1812797W }}</ref> A specific example of this is that relatively high lightning frequency is seen along ship tracks.<ref name="thornton2017">{{cite journal |last1=Thornton |first1=Joel A. |last2=Virts |first2=Katrina S. |last3=Holzworth |first3=Robert H. |last4=Mitchell |first4=Todd P. |title=Lightning enhancement over major oceanic shipping lanes |journal=Geophysical Research Letters |date=16 September 2017 |volume=44 |issue=17 |pages=9102–9111 |doi=10.1002/2017GL074982|doi-access=free |bibcode=2017GeoRL..44.9102T }}</ref>

Airplane contrails have also been observed to influence lightning to a small degree. The water vapor-dense contrails of airplanes may provide a lower resistance pathway through the atmosphere having some influence upon the establishment of an ionic pathway for a lightning flash to follow.<ref>[[#Uman|Uman (1986)]] Ch. 4, pp. 26–34.</ref> Rocket exhaust plumes provided a pathway for lightning when it was witnessed striking the [[Apollo 12|Apollo 12 rocket]] shortly after takeoff.

[[Thermonuclear weapon|Thermonuclear explosions]], by providing extra material for electrical conduction and a very turbulent localized atmosphere, have been seen triggering lightning flashes within the mushroom cloud. In addition, intense gamma radiation from large nuclear explosions may develop intensely charged regions in the surrounding air through [[Compton scattering]]. The intensely charged space charge regions create multiple clear-air lightning discharges shortly after the device detonates.<ref name="Nuclear Lightning">{{Cite journal|date= 1987 | title= An empirical study of the nuclear explosion-induced lightning seen on IVY-MIKE | journal= Journal of Geophysical Research | volume= 92 | issue= D5 | pages= 5696–5712| bibcode=1987JGR....92.5696C | doi= 10.1029/JD092iD05p05696| author= Colvin, J. D. | last2= Mitchell | first2= C. K. | last3= Greig | first3= J. R. | last4= Murphy | first4= D. P. | last5= Pechacek | first5= R. E. | last6= Raleigh | first6= M.}}</ref>

Some high energy cosmic rays produced by supernovas as well as solar particles from the solar wind, enter the atmosphere and electrify the air, which may create pathways for lightning channels.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iop.org/news/14/may/page_63245.html |title=High-speed solar winds increase lightning strikes on Earth |publisher=Iop.org |date=May 15, 2014 |access-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref>