Thunder is the acoustic phenomenon generated by the rapid thermal expansion and subsequent contraction of air along the path of a lightning discharge. The intense, localized heating of air to temperatures of roughly 20,000–30,000 K produces a shock wave that propagates outward and decays into sound waves perceived as thunder. Its temporal and spectral characteristics depend on factors such as lightning channel geometry, branching, discharge duration, and atmospheric conditions including temperature, wind, and turbulence. Thunder is used in atmospheric electricity research to infer lightning channel properties, energy release, and spatial structure through acoustic and infrasonic measurements.
Seismic waves produced by thunderstorms, called thunderquakes, can be used as a novel source for seismic imaging, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State.
Earth Sciences
Aug 21, 2026
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For the first time, researchers have observed and measured weak electrical discharges, known as coronae, on trees during thunderstorms. A new study describes the near-invisible sparkles appearing similarly on branches of ...
Earth Sciences
Feb 24, 2026
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210
Around 14 hours before a partial solar eclipse passed over the Dolomites in Northern Italy, a group of spruce trees showed a sudden, synchronized increase in electrical activity. Previous research by Alessandro Chiolerio ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 6, 2026
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23
The impacts of space weather such as extreme solar winds and magnetic waves are not limited to outer space. Bursts of plasma emanating from the sun, for instance, can temporarily intensify electric and magnetic fields on ...
Planetary Sciences
Jun 23, 2025
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33
Crack! Boom! We're entering the daily summer thunderstorm season in Florida. The clouds roll in and, with them, you sometimes see lightning in the distance. Then you hear thunder.
Environment
Jun 5, 2025
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What does it feel to like to witness a rocket launch—not just any rocket, but SpaceX's Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket in the world?
Space Exploration
Nov 19, 2024
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51
In the 1990s, NASA satellites built to spot high-energy particles coming from supernovae and other celestial-sized objects discovered a surprise—high energy gamma radiation bursts coming from right here on Earth.
Planetary Sciences
Oct 2, 2024
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