Scientists say they have solved a long-standing mystery: why lightning strikes over land are more frequent–and often stronger–than those over the sea.
Previous efforts zeroed in on the presence of fine water particles in the atmosphere that are capable of increasing lightning’s intensity. However, researchers now believe they have found a more dynamic and plausible reason for the disparity between lightning strikes over land and sea, which comes down to a fundamental aspect of seawater: salt.
LIGHTNING DISPARITY seen BY EXPERTS AND LAYPERSONS ALIKE
The actual mechanism behind lightning is complex, but atmospheric scientists have more or less figured it out.
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