Storm Lightning Volcano

Researchers tracked the location of lightning strikes during an april 2015 eruption of calbuco volcano in chile.

Storm lightning volcano. For both of these eruptions the lightning did not begin until several minutes after the explosion began. Storm clouds lightning sky thunder and lightning lightning powers purple lightning lightning strikes hurricane photography lightning photography storm photography the physics of the plasma universe by anthony peratt describes magma as a plasma a medium containing moving charges. Photographer martin reitze 55 captured rare images of volcanic ash escaping from the ebeko volcano in russia whilst the lightning froze the ash cloud in time. But unlike ordinary thunderstorms volcanic lightning can.

The extraordinary moment a volcano erupted shooting luminous hot lava from the surface as a lightning bolt striked the centre of the mountain. Photo by bretwood higman. Volcanic lightning is an electrical discharge caused by a volcanic eruption rather than from an ordinary thunderstorm. The answer is a dirty storm an infernal melange of lightning magmatic fire and ash that surpasses even the wildest hollywood disaster movie effects.

Volcanic lightning is a visually incredible naturally occurring phenomenon that has been witnessed and documented in nearly 200 eruptions over the last 200 years. In this case the bolts were breaking some 60 miles about 100 kilometers from the eruption and at near stratospheric heights of about 12 miles 20 km above earths surface. If the volcano has enough energy dozens of bolts which blast upwards rather than downwards can spawn in the ash. Lightning in the ash cloud from the 1120 pm march 27 eruption at 1126 pm.

Volcanic lightning arises from colliding fragmenting particles of volcanic ash which generate static electricity within the volcanic plume. Lightning during a thunderstorm can be dramatic but lightning over an erupting volcano may just be one of natures most stunning phenomena. Dirty thunderstorms occur when ash rock and other ejecta collide and create static electricity in the plume of volcanic eruptions. Photo by bretwood higman.

Volcanic eruptions have been referred to as dirty thunderstorms due to moist convection and ice formation that drive the eruption plume dynamics and can trigger volcanic lightning.