Remarkable Event: Lightning Streak Spanning 829 Kilometers From Texas to Missouri Sets New Record
Record-Breaking Lightning Flash Over the Great Plains
Lightning, a natural phenomenon that has influenced forest fires, atmospheric chemistry, and even the origins of life on Earth, is a subject of ongoing scientific investigation. A recent discovery has shed light on a unique form of lightning known as megaflashes, which can travel extraordinary distances.
On October 22, 2017, a lightning bolt set a new record by traversing 829 kilometers (515 miles) from east Texas to Missouri, a distance previously unseen in lightning events. This remarkable flash was a single connected flash, surpassing the previous record by a significant margin.
The formation of megaflashes is primarily associated with sprawling, long-lived thunderstorms over the Great Plains. These storms feature intense convective lines and expansive trailing stratiform clouds that are highly electrified, creating an environment suitable for extensive electrical discharges.
Key factors contributing to megaflashes include large mesoscale convective systems, expansive electrified stratiform clouds, slow discharge processes, favorable atmospheric conditions, and charge separation mechanisms within the storms.
Before 2016, researchers relied on ground-based radio sensors to track lightning, which struggled to capture the full scale of long, complex flashes. However, the launch of the GOES-16 satellite in 2016 revolutionized the field. Equipped with a Geostationary Lightning Mapper, this satellite is capable of detecting and tracking millions of lightning bolts per day from orbit.
With the aid of the GOES satellites, scientists were able to reconstruct the Texas-to-Missouri flash in three dimensions using satellite data. The satellite coverage and improved data-processing techniques have led scientists to believe that even longer and more extreme lightning events may be discovered as research continues.
Megaflashes, such as the one from October 2017, are a rare class of atmospheric phenomena that extend more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) through thunderclouds. These flashes slither horizontally through massive storm systems, rarely touching the ground.
It's worth noting that less than 1% of thunderstorms globally are capable of producing megaflashes, but in the Great Plains, the odds are much higher due to the frequent development of powerful thunderstorm systems, called mesoscale convective systems.
During a lightning storm, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) advises that the safest places to take shelter are in substantial buildings with wiring and plumbing, or in fully enclosed metal-topped vehicles. The GOES satellites have also helped identify the longest-lasting single lightning bolt: a 17.1-second flash that occurred over Uruguay and northern Argentina in June 2020.
As our understanding of megaflashes grows, so does our appreciation for the complexity and power of lightning. These extraordinary events serve as a testament to the ongoing mysteries of our atmosphere and the wonders it holds.
- The study of lightning, a natural phenomenon that affects various aspects of Earth's environment, including atmospheric chemistry and the origins of life, is a significant area of research in science.
- The unique form of lightning known as megaflashes, known for traveling extraordinary distances, are primarily associated with powerful thunderstorms that frequently occur in the Great Plains.
- The launch of the GOES-16 satellite in 2016, equipped with a Geostationary Lightning Mapper, has revolutionized the study of lightning by enabling the detection and tracking of millions of lightning bolts per day from orbit.
- The knowledge of megaflashes, such as the one that traversed 829 kilometers in 2017, has increased our understanding of the complexity and power of atmospheric events, offering insights into the ongoing mysteries of our weather and environment.
