In some explosive eruptions, lightning flashes illuminate the ash cloud. The scene combines two separate shows: the matter projected by the Earth and electric discharges into the atmosphere. Their meeting may have a common origin.
The USGS describes several regions of the plume where these discharges appear, from the area near the outlet to the elevated parts. Fragmentation, interactions between particles, their movements and, depending on the conditions, water or ice particles help to separate and accumulate loads.
The plume is not just a cloud carried by the wind. It is also an environment where electrical phenomena develop. Not all volcanoes and eruptions produce the same spectacle: composition, height and dynamics count. What one takes for a dramatic setting can tell something about the functioning of the eruption.
What we know
Several charging mechanisms depending on the plume; no lightning guaranteed with each eruption.
To go to the source
References consulted on September 21, 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
Signaler une erreur ou apporter une précision
