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Lightning Helps Maintain Atmospheric Charge, Aids Plant Growth |
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 Although lightning on other planets may be too "far out" for some people, for others, the fearsome flashes and explosions that accompany a midsummer night’s thunderstorm here on Earth often seem a little too close to home. During a power blackout from a lightning strike, it’s hard to remember that some good does come from the powerful bursts of electrical energy. When lightning bolts discharge, they ionize the air and produce nitrogen oxide. According to recent studies, this process could generate more than 50 percent of the usable nitrogen in the atmosphere and soil. Nitrogen is an essential plant fertilizer. Lightning also plays a critical role in the natural cycle of forests by helping generate new growth. Areas that are burned by lightning-triggered fires are cleared of dead trees so that seedlings have the space and soil to take root. The global array of thunderstorms serves as a worldwide circuit of electrical generators. Through the activity of the lightning they produce, these generators continually maintain and renew the atmosphere’s positive electrical charge.
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Page Last Revised |
Page & Curator Information |
08/21/2001 |
Curator:
Kay Grinter (kay.grinter-1@ksc.nasa.gov) /
InDyne, Inc. |
