Today is

Lightning

Lightning kills hundreds of people around the world each year. It is estimated that lightning strikes the Earth about 100 times every second. Lightning starts wildfires, destroys computers, fries the wiring in phones, and upsets AM radio reception. Lightning discharges can be classified into two types: Cloud to ground (CG) discharges. These discharges have at least one channel connecting the cloud to the ground [CG; or cloud to water (CW)]. Cloud discharges that have NO channel to ground. These cloud discharges are, in turn, classified as in-cloud (IC), cloud to air (CA), and cloud to cloud (CC). Take a look at ScienceMaster's 'Lightning Gallery and for more study follow the links below.

All images courtesy NOAA, http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/researchitems/lightning.shtml

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Lightning Gallery

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Lightning Links: Lightning Tutorial from the National Severe Storms Laboratory. Operational Use of Lightning Data from the NWS Training Center's Tutorial. Lightning Speciality Page from NWSO Melbourne, FL. Ligntning Safety from the Air Force Weather Agency's 45th Weather Squadron Lightning Primer from NASA Lightning Information from Global Atmospherics Inc. Lightning Strike and Electric Shock Survivors International Page. The National Lightning Safety Institute. Lightning Information for Kids by Sabrina. Bright Light Fright by the Franklin Institute. The Theater of Electricity from the Boston Museum of Science Lightning The Shocking Story by the National Geographic Society. Lightning Links Page by Daniel Robinson. Red Sprites and Blue Jets from the Univ. Alaska, Fairbanks. Lightning Detection from Space from NASA (with a lightning tutorial). Lightning Photograph Tips by Chuck Doswell. The Human Effects of Lightning Strikes & Recommendations for Storm Chasers by William T. Hark, MD. Lightning Injury Research at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Stories about lightning detection from space. from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center

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