Treetops glowing during storms captured on film for first time
6 hours ago
- #atmospheric science
- #corona discharges
- #storm research
- Penn State researchers traveled along the U.S. eastern coast in a modified van equipped with a custom weather device to study Florida's summer thunderstorms.
- The team aimed to capture corona discharges, a hypothesized phenomenon where tiny electrical pulses cause tree canopies to glow in UV light during storms, previously undocumented in nature.
- Despite initial challenges with fleeting storms in Florida, they successfully observed corona discharges on sweetgum and loblolly pine trees during a sustained storm near Interstate 95 in North Carolina.
- The findings, published in Geophysical Research Letters, represent the first direct observation of natural corona discharges, confirming a theory held for over 70 years.