Thunder and lightning are among the most fascinating natural phenomena. When I was a kid, I used to wonder how this is possible and why the thunder sounds so loud. Why does the lightning strike with such force? It fascinated me and captivated me with its sheer power and beauty. My naive curiosity had always wondered how they are produced, so I took it upon myself to research on my own. Little did I know, I would be even more surprised and fascinated by how nature functions beautifully, thanks to God.

Formation of Lightning

Lightning starts with clouds. These clouds are usually cumulonimbus clouds, which are tall and dense. Inside these clouds, tiny ice particles collide. This collision creates an electrical charge.

As these particles continue to collide, the cloud separates into two charges. The top part of the cloud becomes positively charged, and the bottom part becomes negatively charged. This separation of charges creates an electric field within the cloud.

Discharge Process

When the electric field becomes strong enough, it overcomes the resistance of the air. This causes a discharge of electricity. The discharge can happen within the cloud, between clouds, or from the cloud to the ground.

When the discharge occurs, it creates a bright flash of light. This is what we see as lightning. The discharge is incredibly fast and powerful. It heats the air around it to extremely high temperatures.

Creation of Thunder

When lightning strikes, it heats the air around it. The temperature of this air can reach up to 30,000 degrees Celsius. This rapid heating causes the air to expand quickly.

The rapid expansion of air creates a shock wave. This shock wave travels through the atmosphere. As it moves, it creates the sound we hear as thunder. The sound can vary from a sharp crack to a long, rolling rumble.

Fascinating, isn’t it? You know, I always like to fill my naive curiosity with fun. So next, I found out some interesting facts about lightning and thunder, which I thought would be a fun way to end my naive curiosity craving.

Fun Facts About Thunder and Lightning

In fact, it’s much hotter than the surface of the sun. Lightning is incredibly hot, reaching a staggering 30,000 Kelvin (53,540 degrees Fahrenheit). While the sun’s temperature of 5,500 Kelvin (9,932 degrees Fahrenheit) is very hot, lightning can be five times hotter.

Earth experiences an astonishing number of lightning strikes every day. It is estimated to have 100 lightning flashes per second occurring worldwide, equaling 8 million times per day globally! INCREDIBLE, isn’t it?

Why Does Thunder Follow Lightning?

You often see lightning before you hear thunder. This is because light travels faster than sound. Light travels at about 300,000 kilometers per second. Sound travels at about 343 meters per second. This difference in speed means we see the lightning before we hear the thunder.

At the end of this beautiful lesson, I thought to myself how small of a creation we are in front of God’s other creation. Yet, look at us and how comfortably we live on this Earth. I think we don’t appreciate it enough. With that in mind, I went to bed wondering what my naive curiosity would want from me tomorrow.