{"id":3789,"date":"2022-02-24T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-24T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=3789"},"modified":"2022-02-11T06:47:56","modified_gmt":"2022-02-11T06:47:56","slug":"record-breaking-lightning-megaflash-extended-for-almost-770-kilometers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/record-breaking-lightning-megaflash-extended-for-almost-770-kilometers\/","title":{"rendered":"Record-Breaking Lightning \u201cMegaflash\u201d Extended for Almost 770 Kilometers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>There are few things in nature that evoke as much awe and mystery as a lightning bolt; these streaks of crackling white light, coming from seemingly nowhere and somewhere above the clouds all at the same time, crash down and leave a thunderous boom that can be heard far and wide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To be clear, science isn\u2019t even fully done understanding what is basically an everyday occurrence. Lightning strikes, despite happening at likely every waking moment somewhere around the world, still have some of its properties left unexplored\u2014and if the recent news from the U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.noaa.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration<\/a> (NOAA)\u2019s images captured by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov\/GOES\/conus.php?sat=G16\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>GOES-East <\/em>satellite<\/a> is anything to go by, we have quite a lot of ground to cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"NOAA&#039;s GOES-16 Satellite Spies Megaflash Lightning\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Zy2px2NYu_I?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>The GOES-East satellite captured this timelapse photo of the longest lightning \u201cmegaflash\u201d ever measured, stretching for a vast 767 km (477 mi). (NOAASatellites, 2022)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The U.S.-based organization reported at the beginning of February that their satellite took a photo of what is likely the longest \u201c<em>megaflash<\/em>\u201d of lightning ever observed; the giant bolt, recorded back on April 29, 2020, stretched from somewhere south of Houston, Texas to the southeastern Mississippi\u2014a stretch of 767 km (477 mi). This remarkable phenomenon was recorded and published in the <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.ametsoc.org\/view\/journals\/bams\/aop\/BAMS-D-21-0254.1\/BAMS-D-21-0254.1.xml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mind you, megaflashes aren\u2019t like your standard lightning bolts that simply hit the ground. These bolts seemingly jump between electrified clouds, and with a large enough thunderstorm can stretch vast distances and stay there for up to ten (10) seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img  decoding=\"async\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/sZ1BzxYZCrKwhlqDOGCtTx0-p9XiXKcmFTo5y1D5SJ7NNlkUmK07q51XN8uZnFNMkQ_LcnSzmrlloytkQYb_jFk2sT4TJYymHPaK_i2qKcCst_rykXN3etCgf2DHdXJD0FwL7gsf\" ><figcaption>Lightning strikes are also some of the most dangerous phenomena out there, and can prove fatal; experts recommend reaching for \u201clightning-safe places\u201d like enclosed buildings and metal-topped vehicles. (Plenio, 2017)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This giant flash of lightning beat the previous record-holder, a megaflash that swept across the skies of southern Brazil back in 2018, by at least 60 km (37 mi). This recent world record megaflash was certified by the <a href=\"https:\/\/public.wmo.int\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>World Meteorological Organization<\/em><\/a> (WMO) and was announced by <a href=\"https:\/\/public.wmo.int\/en\/media\/press-release\/wmo-certifies-two-megaflash-lightning-records\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the organization\u2019s press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>WMO certification analysis lead and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lanl.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Los Alamos National Laboratory<\/a> atmospheric scientists Michael Peterson commented on the remarkable phenomenon: \u201cLightning is a surprisingly elusive and complex natural phenomenon for the impact that it has on our daily lives. We are now at a place where we have excellent measurements of its many facets, which allow us to discover surprising new aspects of its behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img  decoding=\"async\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/NcZ1McNU4xyjRAjkWi_tf9bjITbFPpIx9uZWoXzx3gLAuZMNb0Amw3JSu9CTfm74RTio3PuGjPiCSl_-hMGtlCPf4rxh1f9tpWPOpHxCPSeCQeJl9ONsywBkkgsoc5Vp3bEgQ-Tx\" ><figcaption>Photographer Lee Junda managed to snap a photo of a lightning storm over Singapore. (Junda, 2017)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>With the help of satellites like GOES-East, scientists now have much better eyes at the sky to scan for these monster lightning bolts. With cooperation between countries with their own lightning-mapping technologies now underway, we now have unprecedented worldwide coverage of these natural phenomena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Peterson continued: \u201cNow that we have a robust record of these monster flashes, we can begin to understand how they occur and appreciate the disproportionate impact that they have. There is still a lot that we do not know about these monsters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(For more bizarre discoveries about our planet, read about <a href=\"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/scientists-just-detected-the-deepest-earthquake-ever-recorded\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the deepest earthquake on record<\/a> and about <a href=\"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/2021-was-the-sixth-hottest-year-on-record-warns-scientists\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2021 being the sixth hottest year on record<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"references\">References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>McFall-Johnsen, M. (2022, February 1). Space images show 477-mile lightning \u2018megaflash\u2019 that crossed 3 states and broke a world record. <em>Business Insider Australia<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com.au\/lightning-megaflash-over-us-south-is-longest-ever-recorded-2022-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com.au\/lightning-megaflash-over-us-south-is-longest-ever-recorded-2022-2<\/a><\/li><li>Peterson, M. J., Lang, T. J., Logan, T., Kiong, C. W., Gijben, M., Holle, R., Kolmasova, I., Marisaldi, M., Montanya, J., Pawar, S. D., Zhang, D., Brunet, M., &amp; Cerveny, R. S. (2022). New wmo certified megaflash lightning extremes for flash distance (768 km) and duration (17.01 seconds) recorded from space. <em>Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society<\/em>, <em>1<\/em>(aop). <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1175\/BAMS-D-21-0254.1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1175\/BAMS-D-21-0254.1<\/a><\/li><li><em>WMO certifies two megaflash lightning records<\/em>. (2022, January 31). World Meteorological Organization. <a href=\"https:\/\/public.wmo.int\/en\/media\/press-release\/wmo-certifies-two-megaflash-lightning-records\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/public.wmo.int\/en\/media\/press-release\/wmo-certifies-two-megaflash-lightning-records<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There are few things in nature that evoke as much awe and mystery as a lightning bolt; these&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3790,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[467],"class_list":{"0":"post-3789","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-earth","8":"tag-lightning","9":"cs-entry","10":"cs-video-wrap"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3789"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3789\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3791,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3789\/revisions\/3791"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}