There are certain climatic phenomena that have caught the attention of people since ancient times and still today they continue to be a matter of debate and studies among scientists. The thunderstorms represent one of these phenomena that, although some have been explained, others such as the origin and formation of the rays or the turn of the tornadoes, continue to investigate.
One of the most curious phenomena is that of thunder. Therefore, in this ecology article, we will explain in detail What are thunder and how they occuramong more curiosities about these.
The storms and the rays
Two different even closely related climatic manifestations are thunder and rays. Both phenomena are typical of The thunderstorms. The origin of the thunderstorms is in the rise of large masses of hot and humid air, as a consequence of ascending air currents. These air masses begin to cool and condens as they ascend, forming the clouds that are known as cumulonimbus, which can reach 20 km high.
According to this mass of air, it is condensed, it is giving rise to drops of ice and water that precipitate from the top to the earth’s surface, crossing the clouds for it. As these drops rush, they collide with other drops and increase in size. At the same time that these drops fall, inside the cloud there is a current of air that descends and that will lead to the wind on the earth’s surface.
Benjamin Franklin found in his famous comet experimentthat the clouds possessed electric fields. As one thinks (although still discussed) when the ascending air current produced by the cloud continues and clashes with the descending air currents that create the drops of water that precipitate Electric downloads that will give rise to the rays.
Find out more about these elements of the thunderstorms in this other ecology article about the doubt about the rays and thunder are dangerous? Discover how much they are and much more.
What are thunder and how they form
The sound expression that generates lightning, is called thunder. The origin of thunder has been a very discussed issue over the years. It was Aristotle, in the third century, who provided a first theory about his formation and was that they generated as a result of the clash between the clouds. Over the years, this first application has varied and has been perfected, until today, in which there is already a consensus about its formation.
The spectroscopic analyzes that have been performed, indicate that the average temperature of lightning is 20,400 k (about 2,100º C), reaching between 20,000 k and 30,000 k in first, and then descend to about 10,000 K. These temperature variations occur only in the 50 microseconds that lasts a lightning. The temperature causes lightning to expand through the cold air that surrounds it at a speed higher to the speed of sound, causing The vibration of hot air particles inside the cold atmosphere. This is called a shock wave and is similar to an explosion that expands in all directions, creating what we call thunder.
Attending to the nature of a ray and the distance of the person, The sound produced by thunder It can range from a loud crunch to a long rumble, which can even reach 110 decibels, which is close to the human ear threshold.
Several ray simulation experiments have been carried out, which have provided quite conscordant data with this explanation about the phenomenon, although, in the scientific field, the physical mechanisms that give rise to this process are still debated.
The speed of light and the sound of thunder
Because The speed of light is quite superior to The speed of sound propagationwhen this phenomenon occurs, First we will see the ray and then listen to thunder. Another factor that influences the sound of thunder is the region in which it occurs and the formation of the land in that area, which can influence echoes, as occurs in cities with many tunnels and buildings.
In short, the climatic phenomenon of ray and thunder production teaches us all the force of nature.
Now that you know what thunder are and how they occur, you may also be interested in knowing the answer to this other curious phenomenon: why trees attract rays.
If you want to read more articles similar to What are thunder and how they occurwe recommend that you enter our category of meteorological phenomena.
