Atmospheric electricity abounds in the environment above the surface of earth with some traces of it being found less than four feet above the surface and water bodies : The presence of electrical action in earths atmosphere, due to the accumulation of static charges, generated by friction of the air upon itself, released to ground in an instant, in a massive down – rush of current the moment the accumulated charge exceeds the breakdown voltage of air accounts for the phenomenon of lightning.
If the quantity of water that is considered in and subsequently precipitated from a cloud is known, then the total energy of a thunderstorm can be calculated. In an average thunderstorm, the energy released amounts to about 10,000,000 Kilowatt / hours, which is equivalent to a 20 – Kiloton nuclear warhead. A large, severe thunderstorm might be 10 to 100 times more energetic.
J. Kaviya Shree of V - A
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