November 29, 2024

A volcanic eruption sparked the highest lightning ever seen

Science & Technology

A volcanic eruption sparked the highest lightning ever seen

By: Caroline Chen

Scientists got surprised when they discovered the volcano that erupted in tonga that had made many headlines in the volcanic industry.

In 2022, an underwater volcano erupted in Tonga, a country in the south pacific and made history. It had spit out a plume of ash and water far enough to reach space. It also had created a tsunami as high as the Statue of Liberty. Scientists now find that it triggered lighting at the highest altitudes that has been ever recorded- 20-30 kilometers to the air, all the way up to the stratosphere

Learning about lightning

Lightning oftenly forms in storm clouds, but few can also form in volcano eruption plumes.

Thowe plumes are made of ash, gas and dust. When they bump into each other, they can cause static electricity.

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