Gigantic Jets

[Jay-qu]

These things are pretty cool, I came across them when looking at todays APOD: APOD: 2007 August 29 - Gigantic Jets Over Oklahoma

Apparently they are a type of lightning discharge that goes straight up into the ionosphere, as far as 80km high!

They get a slight mention here: Upper-atmospheric lightning - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[freeztar]

This is very interesting, thanks Jay!

I particularly find interest in the last sentence of the Wiki:

Alternatively, they may be due to differences in potential that result in current from the ozone layer.

My knowledge of lightening is that it is created by ionic differences in the atmosphere compared to the ground. It comes from the ground as much as it comes from the sky. Positive and negative coalesce. So I would assume that the same thing is happening with these jets, but in an opposite manner than what we see on the ground as "regular" lightening.

I would love a valid refute or expansion of the ideas I have expressed.

[Hill]

Thanks for posting this. It's a fascinating phenomenon. I first heard of these when some images from orbit were published 8-10 years ago. I was not aware that they could be seen from the Earth's surface, but why not?

Originally Posted by Jay-qu

These things are pretty cool, I came across them when looking at todays APOD: APOD: 2007 August 29 - Gigantic Jets Over Oklahoma

Apparently they are a type of lightning discharge that goes straight up into the ionosphere, as far as 80km high!

They get a slight mention here: Upper-atmospheric lightning - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[DougF]

I found this sites that you might find useful

Since 2001, the team has successfully NCKU observed sprites over the Asian continent for the first time (Figure 4). They found that the sprites over the Asian landmass were similar to those observed in North American, Australia, and Europe. They also recorded sprites over oceanic thunderstorms. In 22 July 2002, at the southern tip of Taiwan, five gigantic jets were recorded.

Translated version of http://sprite.phys.ncku.edu.tw/NewSprite/article.php?topic=1124084853&article=oldpic
Conjugate Sprites Project
USATODAY.com - Blue jet stabs high into stormy sky

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Jay-qu

These things are pretty cool, I came across them when looking at todays APOD: APOD: 2007 August 29 - Gigantic Jets Over Oklahoma

Apparently they are a type of lightning discharge that goes straight up into the ionosphere, as far as 80km high!

Here is a related thread on 'sprites' with other links on atmospheric discharges. sprites

A thread on lightning in general: >> Lightning

A thread on 'super lightning': >> Super Lightning??