Sioux Falls SD – Upward Lightning (6-13-2017) COMING OUT OF THE GROUND - Forum

Does lightning strike from the sky down, or the ground up?

The answer is both. Cloud-to-ground lightning comes from the sky down, but the part you see comes from the ground up. A typical cloud-to-ground flash lowers a path of negative electricity (that we cannot see) towards the ground in a series of spurts. Objects on the ground generally have a positive charge. Since opposites attract, an upward streamer is sent out from the object about to be struck. When these two paths meet, a return stroke zips back up to the sky. It is the return stroke that produces the visible flash, but it all happens so fast - in about one-millionth of a second - so the human eye doesn't see the actual formation of the stroke.

My dad discussed this with us when we were children...so I agree with Keith.. it's a normal occurrence.

Replies

Sojourner July 5, 2017 at 1:00pm

Does lightning strike from the sky down, or the ground up?

The answer is both. Cloud-to-ground lightning comes from the sky down, but the part you see comes from the ground up. A typical cloud-to-ground flash lowers a path of negative electricity (that we cannot see) towards the ground in a series of spurts. Objects on the ground generally have a positive charge. Since opposites attract, an upward streamer is sent out from the object about to be struck. When these two paths meet, a return stroke zips back up to the sky. It is the return stroke that produces the visible flash, but it all happens so fast - in about one-millionth of a second - so the human eye doesn't see the actual formation of the stroke.

My dad discussed this with us when we were children...so I agree with Keith.. it's a normal occurrence.
Byron wilkins June 25, 2017 at 7:18pm

YOU MEAN YOUR EYES ARE PLAYING A TRICK ON YOU.

Keith H said:

Sorry Byron, any slow motion video of lightning will show you the same thing. It is the normalacy.

This reply was deleted.