2. (No header) • It begins with the atmosphere becoming unstable • In the summer, the sun heats the atmosphere close to the ground • This can cause columns of warm air to burst upward through the atmosphere • This process is called Convection
3. (No header) • This warm air cools from the colder surrounding air • With sufficient moisture this forms cumulonimbus clouds • A thunderstorm is born
4. (No header) • As ice crystals separate from hailstones inside the cloud, • The hailstone becomes negatively charged • While the crystal becomes positively charged • It is believed the positively charged items rise to the top of the cloud • We believe this is how charge is formed inside the cloud
5. (No header) • Because of the strong negative charge in the lower cloud • It induces a positive charge on the ground • With a large enough charge separation, a "spark" is caused • Tries to reach from cloud to ground • Called a "Stepped Leader"
6. (No header) • The stepped leader tries many paths to reach the ground • It will reach the ground and strike ground or another surface • Causes a tremendous charge from the ground back to the cloud • This is called the return stroke and is the strongest stroke • The return stroke is how damage is caused
7. (No header) • All happens in less than one tenth of a second • This makes it impossible for the naked eye to see the multiple strokes
