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Message: <blockquote data-quote="imhotep" data-source="post: 25856251" data-attributes="member: 562115">Good post, considering that many have confused ideas and the fear of using land lines during a storm still in their minds. The zig-zag nature is termed “Tortuosity”.  It happens because air is normally an electrical insulator, so it must break down so that the conductive channel can form in order for a lightning flash to occur. The water droplets and several other factors contribute to the breakdown. This  process does not happen all at once, and the air mixture is not uniform, hence it happens in discrete steps of about 50 meters, with each step taking about one microsecond and about 50 microseconds elapsing between steps, taking the least path of resistance. Because of the discrete nature of this process, the initial channel of a lightning flash is zig-zag or a stepped leader.  It's far complex than this because even the cosmic rays leave tracks of ionized air which presents paths of least resistance. Scientists  are studying radio waves with the LOFAR radio telescope in the Netherlands and use mathematical modelling to unravel the secrets of lightning.Here's a rare photoraph of upward lightning.  Scientists at the Duke University got lucky break by capturing a one-second image and the electrical fingerprint of a rarely-seen ‘gigantic jet’ -  a huge lightning that flowed 40 miles upward from the top of a storm.  [ATTACH=full]101782[/ATTACH]</blockquote>

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