villámlás

Villámlás, also known as lightning, is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during thunderstorms. This powerful electrical event is accompanied by a sudden flash of light and a thunderclap. Villámlás occurs when there is an electrical imbalance between different parts of a cumulonimbus cloud, or between a cloud and the ground. This imbalance builds up until the air, which is normally an insulator, can no longer withstand the electrical pressure.

The process begins with the separation of charges within a storm cloud. Typically, positive charges accumulate at the top of the cloud, while negative charges gather at the bottom. When the electrical potential difference becomes sufficiently large, a discharge path, known as a stepped leader, begins to form from the cloud towards the ground. This leader is a series of invisible, positively charged channels. As the stepped leader approaches the ground, the strong electrical field induces positive charges to rise from the ground in an upward stream leader. When an upward streamer meets a downward stepped leader, a complete conductive channel is formed.

The main stroke, the bright flash of light we see as villámlás, then travels rapidly up this channel. This discharge neutralizes the electrical imbalance. The rapid heating of the air along the lightning channel causes it to expand explosively, creating a shockwave that we perceive as thunder. Villámlás can also occur between clouds or within a single cloud. It is a dramatic and powerful phenomenon that plays a role in atmospheric electrical processes.