MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) -Why Lightning Happens — And Why It’s So Dangerous HOW IT FORMS Inside a thunderstorm, warm air is forced upward in a strong updraft. As the air rises, ice and water particles ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. A Penn State-led study reveals the hidden chain reaction that starts lightning, linking electrons, X-rays, and gamma rays. (CREDIT ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Penn State scientists demonstrate that lightning-like electrical discharges can occur inside solid materials, not just in storm ...

A spy plane retrofitted with research equipment has discovered some very intriguing things while observing thunderstorms in the tropics. According to a new paper published by the researchers behind ...

As particles rub together from wind friction in a thunderstorm, the charges separate and static electricity develops. The negative charges or electrons separate to the bottom of the thunderstorm, ...

As summer begins and more people spend time outdoors, Floridians know that it’s likely to storm each afternoon from June to August. While lightning is fascinating to watch, it is also extremely ...

In brief: The process that creates lightning has never been precisely understood, but scientists know that ice plays a crucial role. New research into developing cold electrical components may have ...

NORFOLK, Va. — Lightning is a common occurrence in Virginia and North Carolina, but have you ever wondered how and why it forms? Think of the formation of lightning as if you are playing with magnets.

“Our findings provide the first precise, quantitative explanation for how lightning initiates in nature,” Pasko said. “It connects the dots between X-rays, electric fields and the physics of electron ...

Inside a thunderstorm, warm air is forced upward in a strong updraft. As the air rises, ice and water particles collide inside the cloud, creating electrical charges. Those collisions build up ...

In a small lab at Penn State University, lightning may be happening on a scale smaller than a deck of cards. Victor Pasko, a professor of electrical engineering, and his team have shown that under ...

Scientists have known for decades how lightning travels once it forms, but the exact trigger inside a thundercloud stayed uncertain. A new study now offers the clearest explanation yet for how ...