How a lightning bolt is born

Process map by Brian. 27 steps, 2 layers. Tags: science, weather, physics.

1. The thundercloud: Warm, wet air surges upward into a storm cloud
2. Ice crystals and soft hail: Ice crystals and soft hail collide
3. The thundercloud: Cloud sorts itself: positive on top, negative at the bottom
4. Ground and tall objects: The ground below turns positive, shadowing the storm
5. The air (an insulator): Strong enough to break the air down?
6. The bolt: The stepped leader zigzags down in 50 m jumps
7. Ground and tall objects: Streamers reach up from trees, towers and people
8. The bolt: Do leader and streamer meet?
9. The bolt: Return stroke: the blinding flash races up at 100,000 km/s
10. The air (an insulator): Air in the channel heats to 30,000 °C, hotter than the Sun's surface
11. The air (an insulator): Superheated air explodes outward: thunder
12. The thundercloud: Charge left in the cloud?
13. The thundercloud: Storm recharges, or fades away
14. The bolt: Leader branches and searches for another path
15. The thundercloud: Collisions keep piling up charge

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