Lightning
Meteorologists have a major problem. Sure they acknowledge that the Earth's atmosphere acts like a leaky, self-repairing capacitor (condenser). However, they assume that this spherical capacitor is charged from within by thunderstorm activity because they have been told that the Earth is an uncharged body flying through an uncharged solar wind. But it has never been shown to most just precisely how the thunderstorm charging process works. I'd like to mention discoveries of discharge phenomena above thunderstorms, stretching up into space.
Earth is a charged body that continually transfers massive amounts of charge to maintain equilibrium with the solar system electrical environment. Electrical storms are hence generated by a variance of conductivity in the dielectric insulating layers of atmosphere between the Earth's surface and the ionosphere. Leakage currents and potential differences can CAUSE vertical winds in a thunderstorm and the charge build-up in the cloud. Occasionally, a bolt of mega-lightning streaks from the top of a large storm instead of its base. This 10-kilometres-high short-circuit throws the switch for a further powerful discharge to the ionosphere. The result is a towering diffuse discharge at very high altitudes - a "red sprite" or "blue jet.".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF2gW2g5qKM
Last edited by davionics; 5th Aug 2010 at 06:18.
Reason: Added youtube clip