Study explains why lightning has a zigzag pattern

We’ve all seen lightning and been taken aback by the massive spark of electricity in the atmosphere between clouds and air. Many individuals are terrified by the phenomenon’s thunder and a loud boom. If one looks closely, lightning is always observed in a “zigzag” pattern known as steps, whether in movies or in real life.

A recent study published in the Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics explains these “zigzags” (also known as steps). It also describes how lightning can reach thousands of kilometres.

According to National Geographic, lightning is an electrical discharge created by imbalances between storm clouds and the earth or inside the clouds themselves. The majority of lightning strikes within clouds. The term “sheet lightning” refers to a distant bolt that illuminates an entire cloud base. Other visible bolts could take the form of beads, ribbons, or rocket lightning.

Thunderclouds have intense electrical fields that excite electrons to the point of producing “single delta oxygen molecules.”

These molecules and electrons unite to form a small, strongly conducting step that emits bright light for a brief period of time.

After a brief pause during the step’s build-up, another dazzling, flashing leap happens. The method is continued indefinitely to create the zigzags.

According to The Conversation, images of lightning reveal a plethora of subtleties that the naked eye cannot see. Typically, four or five faint “leaders” emerge from the cloud. These are branching and zigzag towards the earth in an uneven pattern.

Pictures of lightning exhibit a range of characteristics that the human eye cannot see. Typically, four or five weak “leaders” emerge from the cloud. These zigzag and branch as they descend in an unpredictable manner.

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