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Date Posted: 15:37:51 05/23/00 Tue
Author: Bob
Subject: Re: Lightning and magnetic fields
In reply to: B. Hoon 's message, "Lightning and magnetic fields" on 07:40:05 05/23/00 Tue

I'm no expert but I thought I heard that the actual charge goes from the ground up and the "trailor" (the 'spark') follows the path back down ?

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Replies:

[> [> Re: Lightning (I know this much) -- Ken, 13:00:38 06/02/00 Fri

With the initial breakdown of the air in a region of strong electric fields, a streamer may
begin to propagate downward toward the Earth. It moves in discrete steps of about 50
meters each and is called a stepped leader. As it grows, it creates an ionized path
depositing charge along the channel, and as the stepped leader nears the Earth, a large
potential difference is generated between the end of the leader and the Earth. Typically, a
streamer is launched from the Earth and intercepts the descending stepped leader just
before it reaches the ground. Once a connecting path is achieved, a return stroke flies up
the already ionized path at close to the speed of light. This return stroke releases
tremendous energy, bright light and thunder.


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