Different Types of Lightning

Generally, lightning can be seen by the human eye as a beam of white light that comes and goes in a blink of the eye. It might seem exciting to some people but scary to many. It is actually an atmospheric release of electricity with sound known as thunder, which is caused by a natural atmospheric process, mainly during thunderstorms in the rainy season. A lightning bolt can travel at the unbelievable speed of 60,000 mph and can reach temperatures of up to 30,000 degrees Celsius. Lightnings have been classified by scientists and observers according to their physical and visual characteristics.

Cloud-to-ground Lightning
This is one of the most severe, and unsafe type of lightning known to man. It is not so common, but one which is the best understood. Whenever, people see lightning, they think that it is released from the clouds to the ground. A majority of such types come from the bottom of the cloud which is negatively charged and travels to the ground that is positively charged. There are some cloud-to-ground lightnings which also pass down positive charges to the ground. These are rare cases, and come from higher regions of a thundercloud. They are most likely to strike higher objects that are present on the ground like the top of a skyscraper, tower or a tall tree. These lightnings can cause terrible damage to property and also start fires. They can also strike a person if he is the highest point in the path of the lightning bolt, which can cause serious injury or even death on the spot. People best understand cloud-to-ground lightning as it leaves its life-threatening evidences behind.

Cloud-to-cloud/Inter-cloud Lightning
These lightnings take place in two different clouds and don't touch the surface of the earth, and so are known as cloud-to-cloud lightnings. They are sporadic in comparison to intra-cloud lightnings. They occur between areas of different clouds which have opposite charges. The strike travels through the air which is present between the positively and the negatively charged points of the clouds.

Intra-cloud Lightning
In this type, the lightning occurs between sections of the same cloud which have opposite charges, such as a negative and a positive point in a single cloud. It seems like a flickering light spreading out in the cloud. However, the lightning can extend itself from the boundary of the cloud, and a flash similar in the cloud-to-ground lightning may be visible.

Ball Lightning
It is a rare form of lightning, and is normally visible as a reddish lambent ball, but may have many colors. It is ball-shaped lightning that seems to float, and is around one foot in diameter. It may travel fast, slow, or remain stationary and also produce a crackling sound. It lasts from a few seconds to minutes, usually accompanied with a bang.

Ribbon Lightning
It is named after its visual appearance, and looks like a ribbon in the sky. It is a flash of light that is separated by many visible gaps, which is caused when the wind blows the lightning channel sideways during the exposure.

Bead Lightning
This lightning appears to disintegrate itself into a string of bright segments that give us a view of beads.

There are many other forms and types of lightning like forked lightning, anvil crawlers, bolt from the blue, sheet lightning, and heat lightning. If you ever get a chance to see any of them, make sure to take a second out to marvel at this beautiful spectacle of nature.