The mechanism of lightning that ignites a forest fire and the lightning that occurs above a forest fire are explained at the molecular level. It is based on two phenomena, namely, internal charge separation inside the...The mechanism of lightning that ignites a forest fire and the lightning that occurs above a forest fire are explained at the molecular level. It is based on two phenomena, namely, internal charge separation inside the atmospheric cloud particles and the existence of a layer of positively charged hydrogen atoms sticking out of the surface of the liquid layer of water on the surface of rimers. Strong turbulence-driven collisions of the ice particles and water droplets with the rimers give rise to breakups of the ice particles and water droplets into positively and negatively charged fragments leading to charge separation. Hot weather in a forest contributes to the updraft of hot and humid air, which follows the same physical/chemical processes of normal lightning proposed and explained recently[1]. Lightning would have a high probability of lighting up and burning the dry biological materials in the ground of the forest, leading to a forest (wild) fire. The burning of trees and other plants would release a lot of heat and moisture together with a lot of smoke particles (aerosols) becoming a strong updraft. The condition for creating lightning is again satisfied which would result in further lightning high above the forest wild fire.展开更多
Cloud electrification is one of the oldest unresolved puzzles in the atmospheric sciences. Though many mechanisms for charge separation in clouds have been proposed, a quantitative understanding of their respective co...Cloud electrification is one of the oldest unresolved puzzles in the atmospheric sciences. Though many mechanisms for charge separation in clouds have been proposed, a quantitative understanding of their respective contribution in a given meteorological situation is lacking. Here we suggest and analyze a hitherto little discussed process. A qualitative picture at the molecular level of the charge separation mechanism of lightning in a thundercloud is proposed. It is based on two key physical/chemical natural phenomena, namely, internal charge separation of the atmospheric impurities/aerosols inside an atmospheric water cluster/droplet/ice particle and the existence of liquid water layers on rimers (graupels and hailstones) forming a layer of dipoles with H<sup>+</sup> pointing out from the air-water interface. Charge separation is achieved through strong collisions among ice particles and water droplets with the rimers in the turbulence of the thundercloud. This work would have significant contribution to cloud electrification and lightning formation.展开更多
文摘The mechanism of lightning that ignites a forest fire and the lightning that occurs above a forest fire are explained at the molecular level. It is based on two phenomena, namely, internal charge separation inside the atmospheric cloud particles and the existence of a layer of positively charged hydrogen atoms sticking out of the surface of the liquid layer of water on the surface of rimers. Strong turbulence-driven collisions of the ice particles and water droplets with the rimers give rise to breakups of the ice particles and water droplets into positively and negatively charged fragments leading to charge separation. Hot weather in a forest contributes to the updraft of hot and humid air, which follows the same physical/chemical processes of normal lightning proposed and explained recently[1]. Lightning would have a high probability of lighting up and burning the dry biological materials in the ground of the forest, leading to a forest (wild) fire. The burning of trees and other plants would release a lot of heat and moisture together with a lot of smoke particles (aerosols) becoming a strong updraft. The condition for creating lightning is again satisfied which would result in further lightning high above the forest wild fire.
文摘Cloud electrification is one of the oldest unresolved puzzles in the atmospheric sciences. Though many mechanisms for charge separation in clouds have been proposed, a quantitative understanding of their respective contribution in a given meteorological situation is lacking. Here we suggest and analyze a hitherto little discussed process. A qualitative picture at the molecular level of the charge separation mechanism of lightning in a thundercloud is proposed. It is based on two key physical/chemical natural phenomena, namely, internal charge separation of the atmospheric impurities/aerosols inside an atmospheric water cluster/droplet/ice particle and the existence of liquid water layers on rimers (graupels and hailstones) forming a layer of dipoles with H<sup>+</sup> pointing out from the air-water interface. Charge separation is achieved through strong collisions among ice particles and water droplets with the rimers in the turbulence of the thundercloud. This work would have significant contribution to cloud electrification and lightning formation.
